SMC Men’s Cross Country Opens Season at Converse Kick-Off
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Spartanburg Methodist College men's cross country team opened its 2025 season at the Converse Kick-Off, held Friday evening at Milliken Research Park.
Competing in humid conditions against a primarily NCAA Division II field, the Pioneers were paced by Ryan Hunter, who completed the 6K course in 19:53.3. Hunter's effort led to a 5:34 spread among SMC's top five runners and a 6:41 gap across its seven competitors.
Converse sophomore Ander Vara Moleres claimed the individual title for the host Valkyries with a time of 19:11.3. UNC Pembroke captured the team title, placing five runners in the top 14 to finish with 44 points.
For SMC, newcomers Dante Hudnall (68th, 21:49) and Jack MacDonald (103rd, 23:07.8) followed Hunter. Rounding out the lineup were Omarion Ocampo-Rios (116th, 24:09), Dylan Seppala (129th, 25:28.1), Matthew Radford (132nd, 25:48.1), and Steven Strange (135th, 26:34.9).
Next up for the Pioneers is the Pfeiffer Invitational, scheduled for September 12 at the Pfeiffer Cross Country Course in Misenheimer, North Carolina.
