MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Millsaps men's and women's cross country teams hit the trails in their season openers at the City Auto Memphis Twilight XC Classic, looking to start 2025 strong. The Majors had five freshmen compete in their first collegiate races, with Dallas Stricker and Devion Hart both finishing inside the top 50 at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday.
The men's squad finished 9th out of 12 teams against programs ranging from NCAA Division I and Division III as well as NJCAA and NAIA teams. The aforementioned freshman Stricker finished in 40th, covering his 4-mile trek in 21 minutes, 13.47 seconds.
Hart came across the line in 21:23.46, good for a 45th-place finish against a loaded group of 139 competitors.
Sophomore Greer Hernandez, returning from injury which sidelined him last year, finished 56th at a time of 21:54.07.
First-year students Mason Castleberry (96th; 23:23:73) and Benjamin Sylve (99th; 24:00:38) finished out the scoring for the Majors men's squad.
Sophomore Phillip Antis closed with a time of 25:14.54 and good for a 113th-place finish.
The Majors have a lot to be excited about with a talented core of freshmen and key returners in Hernandez and Antis as the season continues.
For the women's team,
Claudia Dempsey started her sophomore campaign strong by finishing in 77th out of 112 runners. She set a personal-best in the 5K with a time of 21 minutes, 40.94 seconds, crushing her previous best by more than 80 seconds.
Freshman
Molly Northam made her cross country debut for the Majors, finishing in 97th at 25:16.86.
Both the Millsaps men's and women's cross country teams will be back on the trails, Sept. 5 for the Mississippi College 5K Opener at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. Live results will be available at gomajors.com.
| TEAM SCORES – MEN |
|
|
|
| PLACE |
TEAM |
POINTS |
| 1) |
Ole Miss |
28 |
| 2) |
Middle Tenn. State |
41 |
| 3) |
Memphis |
79 |
| 4) |
Arkansas State |
106 |
| 5) |
Crowder CC |
129 |
| 6) |
Wallace State |
160 |
| 7) |
Ozarks |
234 |
| 8) |
Freed-Hardeman |
244 |
| 9) |
Millsaps |
245 |
| 10) |
Calhoun CC |
252 |
| 11) |
Northeast Mississippi |
336 |
| 12) |
Williams Baptist |
389 |
|
|
|
| MILLSAPS 4-MILE FINISHERS – MEN |
|
|
|
| PLACE |
STUDENT-ATHLETE |
TIME |
| 40) |
Dallas Stricker |
21:13.47. |
| 45) |
Devion Hart |
21:23.46. |
| 56) |
Greer Hernandez |
21:54.07. |
| 96) |
Mason Castleberry |
23:23.73. |
| 99) |
Benjamin Sylve |
24:00.38. |
| 113) |
Phillip Antis |
25:14.54. |
|
139 Finishers |
|
|
|
|
| NO MILLSAPS WOMEN'S TEAM SCORE |
|
|
|
| MILLSAPS 5K FINISHERS – WOMEN |
|
|
|
| PLACE |
STUDENT-ATHLETE |
TIME |
| 77) |
Claudia Dempsey |
21:40.94. (PB) |
| 97) |
Molly Northam |
25:16.86. |
|
112 Finishers |
|
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College men's and women's cross country programs follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook and visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
