Panthers Place 3rd at CIAA Men's Cross Country Championship; Highest Since Joining NCAA
SALEM, VA - The Claflin University men's cross-country team just completed one of its best seasons in school history. The team had a third-place finish at the 2024 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men's Cross-Country Championship Meet, Thursday. The team totaled 85 points to finish behind Virginia State (45) and Fayetteville State (46). With today's effort, the Panthers recorded their best finish in a conference championship since joining the NCAA in 2004. Previously, the team's best top finish was fifth place finish in the 2022 CIAA Men's Cross-Country Championship Meet.
It was the Panthers' newcomers who led the team's terrific effort at the meet. Claflin freshman
Graysen Manning led the way with a seventh-place finish in the men's 8K run. He ran a 26:44.8 to earn a spot on the CIAA All-Conference team in the first championship meet of his career. Claflin graduate student
DaMauri Little placed 9
th when he ran a 26:55.4. Junior
Reginald Gore placed 19
th when he recorded a 28:27.3 while fellow junior
Jakarriez Sanders added a 24
th place finish in 29:04.5.
The meet completes the 2024 season for the Panthers men's cross-country team. The Panthers will now all turn their attention to the indoor track & field season. For more information on Claflin University cross country, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu.
