MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Auburn University at Montgomery cross country teams continue to make their mark in NCAA Division II, with both the men's and women's teams earning top-10 South Region rankings in the latest rankings announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Men's Cross Country Ranked No. 6 in South Region
The Auburn University at Montgomery men's cross country team has climbed to No. 6 in the latest NCAA Division II South Region rankings, matching the highest regional ranking in program history. Gulf South Conference foe Lee University currently holds the No. 1 spot in the region.
AUM has since strengthened its position with a strong start to the season, including a 13th-place finish at the Southern Showcase. Competing against a 29-team field featuring 302 individual runners at John Hunt Cross Country Running Park, the Warhawks scored 440 points and finished as the second Division II team in the field, trailing only Lee. AUM also finished ahead of 12 Division I programs, including North Alabama, Mercer, South Alabama, Samford, West Georgia and West Florida.
Sophomore Caleb Yoder led the Warhawks in the men's 8K, placing 40th overall with a personal-best 24:55.00. Yoder improved his previous best by 7.9 seconds, recording the fourth-fastest 8K in program history while finishing as the second Division II runner in the race behind Lee's Kylian Boulanger.
Tyler Anthony followed in 63rd at 25:15.70, recording his fastest 8K at AUM, while Mikey Banks finished 86th in 25:28.70 for the second-fastest 8K of his collegiate career. JT Mathison added a 155th-place finish in 26:11.80, also posting the second-fastest 8K of his collegiate career.
Brexton Hathaway rounded out AUM's scoring five in 165th place at 26:18.60, with the Warhawks' five scorers separated by just 1:23.60.
The Warhawks entered the 2026 season selected to finish fourth in the GSC Men's Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll, receiving at 59 points.
Women's Cross Country Ranked No. 7 in South Region
The Auburn University at Montgomery women's cross country team has climbed to No. 7 in the latest NCAA Division II South Region rankings, matching the highest regional ranking in program history after a strong opening to the 2026 season.
The Warhawks opened the season at the Queen City Invite, placing seventh in a competitive 26-team field featuring 222 individual runners at McAlpine Creek Park. AUM scored 226 points and finished as the second Division II team in the field, highlighted by a strong front pack that saw the Warhawks' five scoring runners finish within 1:56.50 of one another.
Chloe Helms paced AUM in her program debut, finishing 26th overall in 18:32.00 to record the second-fastest 5K in program history at the time. Lena Parker followed in 54th at 19:34.00, recording her first collegiate 5K, while Natalie Wiram and Laila Cooper also made their collegiate 5K debuts, finishing 60th in 19:48.50 and 77th in 20:18.50, respectively. Emma McGee rounded out the scoring five in 81st at 20:28.50.
The Warhawks then made a significant jump at the Montevallo Falcon Classic, racing to the team title with 27 points in a 10-team field featuring 97 individual runners. AUM placed five runners inside the top 10, led by Helms' individual victory.
Helms improved her personal best by more than 10 seconds, winning the women's 5K in 18:21.20. The performance moved her to No. 2 on AUM's all-time top-10 list and gave her the fastest time of her collegiate career.
Emma McGee followed in third at 18:59.50, improving by nearly a minute and a half from her Queen City time. Freshmen Lena Parker and Natalie Wiram continued their rapid progression, finishing sixth and eighth, respectively, with Parker posting a personal-best 19:08.40 and Wiram recording a personal-best 19:13.50.
Laila Cooper completed AUM's scoring five with a ninth-place finish in 19:19.00, also recording a personal best. With Cooper's finish, all five Warhawks scorers finished inside the top 10.
The Falcon Classic victory marked AUM's second team win since moving to the NCAA Division II level. The Warhawks previously won the event in 2021, marking the program's first team victory as a Division II member. AUM also finished ahead of fellow Gulf South Conference programs Valdosta State and Montevallo, as well as Division I programs Troy and Alabama State.
Up Next
The Warhawks will look to carry their momentum into the 25th annual Swags Louisville Cross Country Classic on Saturday, Oct. 3, traveling to E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky. The men will take the course first at 9 a.m. CT for the 8K, followed by the women's 5K at 9:45 a.m. CT.
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