PINSON, Tenn.-Cumberland cross country opened the 2026 season with a strong showing at the Freed Speed Open on Saturday morning, as the Phoenix men captured the team championship and the women finished third.

The Phoenix placed all five scoring runners inside the top 14 to finish with 40 points, 14 points ahead of host Freed-Hardeman. Jackson State Community College took third with 61 points, followed by Northeast Mississippi with 67.

Junior Wilson Navarrete led Cumberland with a fourth-place finish, completing the 5K course in 16:06.4. Freshman Romulo Filho crossed just behind him in fifth with a time of 16:08.7.

Freshman Dylan Hunter gave the Phoenix three runners inside the top seven, finishing seventh in 16:45.3. Carter Crook, another freshman, placed 10th after clocking a 16:57.1.

Freshman Collins Kibiwott rounded out Cumberland's scoring five in 14th place with a time of 17:17.1. Lukas Price finished with the same time and followed in 15th place, while sophomore Garrett Tunks completed the Phoenix lineup in 18th at 17:45.5.

Freed-Hardeman's Barrett Poe won the individual title with a time of 15:53.6, edging teammate Daniel Puckett by two seconds.

On the women's side, Cumberland scored 66 points to place third behind Freed-Hardeman and Northeast Mississippi. The Phoenix packed their first six runners within nine places and just under 30 seconds of one another.

Senior Jenna Towles paced Cumberland with a 10th-place finish, crossing the line in 21:52.4. Junior Alexa Rumpf followed in 11th at 21:53.5, while freshman Alaina Chapman finished 12th in her collegiate debut with a time of 21:56.3.

Freshman Karis Singleterry placed 16th in 22:13.0, and sophomore Laykin Ellis completed Cumberland's scoring five in 17th at 22:18.5. Junior Channon Cundiff followed in 18th with a time of 22:22.1.

Freed-Hardeman won the women's team title with 32 points, followed by Northeast Mississippi with 56. Freed-Hardeman's Mary Pearce claimed the individual victory in 19:22.7.

The Phoenix will be in action at the Indiana Wesleyan Twilight Invitational next Friday, September 4th in the evening.