Given its history of success, it comes as no surprise that Furman cross country is ranked by the – okay, take this down — U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

That’s USTFCCCA, which doesn’t simplify things.

Women’s cross country is ranked third in the NCAA Southeast Region preseason poll and 24th in the national poll, while the men’s team ranks eighth in the region.

“We are excited to get this season started,” stated Furman coach Rita Gary. “I felt like the women really pushed our program forward last season, and we certainly feel even more prepared and more motivated to explore into this season’s opportunities.”

Both Paladin teams were picked to win their 12th-straight SoCon titles in 2024.

The Furman women, who own the longest active conference winning streak in the nation, return 12 competitors from last year’s squad.  The Paladins have won the last four SoCon Runners of the Year on the women’s side, Eight out of nine of Furman’s competitors from last year’s SoCon meet return in 2024.

The Paladin men also return 12 runners from last season. The Furman men have captured the last eight SoCon Runner of the Year Awards:

Furman opens the season Sept. 6 at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg.

Christian Kraus and Ivan Agyaakwah netted second-half goals as Furman rallied past Winthrop, 2-1, to claim its first victory of the season Sunday evening in Rock Hill.

With the Paladins (1-0-1) trailing 1-0 in the second half, freshman Wesley Siegel stole the ball in the midfield and raced forward to create a two-versus-one. He slid a pass into the path of Kraus, who fired past Winthrop goalkeeper Jack Kilstrom at the 60:10 mark to level the match.

Furman grabbed the lead in the 73^rd minute. Lloyd Wamu Snell raced down the right flank and played the ball around his defender before sending a cross into the box that was deflected into the path of Ivan Agyaakwah. The midfielder converted from just inside the penalty spot to put the Paladins on top at the 72:38 mark.

Kraus was denied by Kilstrom on a breakaway in the 85^th minute and Furman’s Aaron Salinas was forced to preserve the lead moments later by tipping a Winthrop shot over the bar. A scramble in the box in the final minute earned the Eagles a corner kick, but Furman cleared the final threat to earn its first win of 2024.

Furman managed a 17-9 advantage in total shot attempts, including an 8-2 edge in shots on goal. Salinas was credited with one save to earn the win in goal while Kilstrom stopped five shots for the Eagles.

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Winthrop (0-2) broke the deadlock less than three minutes into the second half on Sam Pidgeon’s first goal of the season.

Furman’s victory marked its third straight over Winthrop and 11^th in 12 all-time meetings.

The Paladins are back in action on Friday night when they host North Greenville at Stone Stadium.

Davidson managed two goals in the final nine minutes to rally past Furman, 2-1, in women’s soccer on Sunday afternoon on at Stone Stadium.

“It was an unfortunate way to lose, giving up two goals in the final minutes,” said Paladin head coach Andrew Burr. “We have a lot of growing to do as a team and need to get some key players healthy. The focus will continue to be preparing ourselves to be at our best when Southern Conference play arrives next month.”

Trailing 1-0 with under nine minutes to play, Davidson’s Savannah Pruitt served a corner kick inside the six-yard box that was headed out by the Furman defense. Ella Barnes collected the clearance and fed Aleia Gisolfi-McCready, who punched a shot through traffic that found the back of the net to even the match at the 81:14 mark.

With just 1:02 left in the match, Dakota Lyons took an S.J. Pak pass at the top of the box and lined a shot into the right-hand corner for the eventual match-winning score.

Davidson (1-1) outshot the Paladins 16-10, including a commanding 12-1 edge in the second half. The Wildcats finished with an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal.

The Paladins (1-3) continue their homestand on Thursday when they take on Clemson at 7 p.m., and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Furman Athletics raised $11.8 million during fiscal year 2023-24 to top $10M for a fourth consecutive year under the Furman Athletics Fund.

Since the 2021 rollout of the Furman Athletics Fund model — a donor-centric fundraising model that empowers donors to support the area within Furman Athletics for which they are most passionate —  fundraising for athletics has grown significantly.

Over the last four years, $54.5 million has been raised for athletics – a 185% increase from the previous four years under the former Paladin Club model.

Saturday was the site’s biggest day of the year to date. Visits are up 35 percent in the past week.

It’s just the start. Furman and Presbyterian begin football this week, and Friday night Laurens visits Clinton.

As Merle Haggard sang, “If we can make it through December, everything’s gonna be all right, I know.”

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