Cross Country to Open 2026 Season at Walt Crawford Invite

Date (Time): Friday, September 4 (4:45 pm.m CT)
Opponents: Eastern Illinois, Lake Land College, Parkland College
Location (Venue): Charleston, Illinois (Tom Woodall Panther Trail)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com

The Murray State Cross Country teams will kick off the 2026 season at the Walt Crawford Invite at the Ton Woodall Panther Trail in Charleston, Illinois.

The Racers join the Eastern Illinois Pathers, Lake Land College, and Parkland College at the season opener to start a schedule that features six events, with four regular-season meets before the Missouri Valley Conference Championships and the NCAA Regional. The MVC Championships will be hosted by Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, while the NCAA Regional will take place in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Murray State women's squad features several accomplished returners, including Autumn Egleston, who brings a personal-best 5K time of 18:58.7 at the Louisville Classic and a 22:33.0 6K PR. Sophomore Abigail Crask (23:33.0 6K PR) and senior Hallie Mosier (23:55.6 6K PR) round out an experienced returning core.

On the men's side, junior Dylan Ellis leads the Racer lineup after pacing Murray State across multiple meets last season. Ellis boasts a team-leading 8K personal record of 25:20.0 set at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, along with a 15:41.3 mark in the 5K and a 32:25.2 effort in the 10K at the NCAA Southeast Regional. Senior Gabe Russell brings personal bests of 25:53.2 in the 8K and 15:51.4 in the 5K into his final campaign.

Up Next
Following the Walt Crawford Invite, the Racers travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for the OVC Preview on Sept. 18.

Cross Country to Open 2026 Season at Walt Crawford Invite

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Players Mentioned

Abigail Crask

Autumn Egleston

Dylan Ellis

Hallie Mosier

Gabe Russell

Murray State University Athletics