Sports

Shepherd leads Toppers at Jax State Foothills Trails

Jon Myers
Shepherd leads Toppers at Jax State Foothills Trails

Jacksonville, Ala. — Blue Mountain Christian University opened its 2026 women’s cross country season Friday at Jacksonville State University’s Foothills Trails meet, finishing 10th in a 20-team field, the school reported.

Sophomore Ella Shepherd led the Toppers, placing 38th with a time of 19:42.8, a personal best. Sophomore Kaedyn Wilson was next for BMCU, finishing 48th in 20:06.0.

Freshman Ally Moore made her collegiate cross country debut and finished 92nd in 21:51.5. Sophomore Jorja Kate Mooneyhan placed 96th in 22:04.6, and sophomore Ruth Hutchinson followed in 97th with a personal-best time of 22:07.1, the school said.

Senior Leah Montgomery finished 139th in 25:28.2, and junior Lauren Paul rounded out the BMCU roster in 152nd with a time of 27:44.4.

The season opener gives the Toppers a baseline as they prepare for upcoming meets and provides momentum from individual personal records and a collegiate debut. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

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Jon Myers

Jon Ross Myers founded Mississippi News Group in 2013. Before founding the organization, he worked at The Daily Mississippian, The Marion Salute and The Southern Sentinel. A Mississippi journalist and writer based in Ripley, he received second place in poetry in the 2025 William Faulkner Literary Competition for "The Garden."