Bethune-Cookman cross country will return to competition Saturday at the 19th Annual Sandshark Invitational in Hardeeville, South Carolina. The meet begins at 8:45 a.m. at Sergeant Jasper County Park. It will be Bethune-Cookman’s second consecutive appearance at the event.
The meet follows the Florida State Pre Regional, where Andrew Kiplagat finished fourth overall in a field of more than 200 runners with a time of 24:36.8. Jayden Santos-Gonzales placed 24th overall in 25:18.3. Bethune-Cookman’s men finished 13th of 23 teams.
Bethune-Cookman men bring recent individual results
Kiplagat, a junior from Chebara, Kenya, recorded one of the top individual finishes for Bethune-Cookman at the Florida State Pre Regional. Santos-Gonzales also posted a top-25 finish with his 24th-place result. Bethune-Cookman’s men scored ahead of FIU, Florida Atlantic and Jacksonville.
Kiplagat also has a significant result at the Sandshark Invitational. Last season, he set a Bethune-Cookman school record with a time of 23:49.9 and finished second overall. Bethune-Cookman’s men finished second overall at that meet.
Lisel Ndlovu leads Bethune-Cookman women
Lisel Ndlovu led Bethune-Cookman’s women at the Florida State Pre Regional with a time of 23:38.3. She recorded her second top-100 finish of the season. Bethune-Cookman’s women finished 21st of 28 teams.
The women also finished sixth at last season’s Sandshark Invitational. Saturday’s meet will give both Bethune-Cookman teams a return to a course where the program produced top-six team finishes last season. The event will be held at Sergeant Jasper County Park in Hardeeville.
Course details and remaining schedule
The course starts and finishes at the Hardeeville School Complex and runs through Sergeant Jasper Park and the Cooler Property. It is flat and consists of grass and trails, with road crossings. The course hosted the 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2016 Sun Conference Championships.
Bethune-Cookman’s listed schedule also includes the 2026 Ed Holloway Classic, the SWAC Cross Country Championship and the NCAA DI Cross Country South Regional. The announcement did not provide dates or times for those events. The 19th Annual Sandshark Invitational is the next listed meet.
FSB Take
The 19th Annual Sandshark Invitational gives Bethune-Cookman cross country its next chance to build on the Florida State Pre Regional. Kiplagat returns to the event after setting a school record and finishing second overall last season, while Santos-Gonzales and Ndlovu enter after notable individual results. The men’s second-place finish and the women’s sixth-place finish last season provide the clearest verified benchmarks for Saturday’s meet.
Source: Original report