HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The Edward Waters University men's and women's cross country teams continued their 2026 campaigns Saturday morning, competing in the 2026 Sand Shark Invitational, hosted by the University of South Carolina Beaufort at Sergeant Jasper County Park.
Both squads competed against a field featuring NCAA Division II and NAIA programs, gaining valuable experience as they continue preparations for the final stretch of the regular season.
Freshman Alaysa Chipunov led the way for the Lady Tigers in the women's 5K race, delivering a strong performance with a 14th-place overall finish in a time of 21:18.3.
Junior Maila Tashiro followed with a 26th-place finish, crossing the line in 22:14.9, while fellow junior Paris McKinnon finished 33rd overall with a time of 22:31.2.
Abigail Watt and Viviandra Phinizee rounded out the Edward Waters lineup, finishing 71st and 72nd, respectively. Both runners crossed the finish line with identical times of 33:19.0
The women's competition featured 73 finishers, with Chipunov's top-15 performance highlighting the Lady Tigers' morning.
On the men's side, freshman Grey Murphy paced the Tigers in the 8K competition, placing 39th overall with a time of 30:38.1.
Sophomore Alex Williams was the next Edward Waters runner across the finish line, recording a 50th-place finish in 31:47.5. Senior Maquavion Parks followed closely behind, placing 53rd overall with a time of 32:13.8.
Junior Joshua Walkes finished 63rd with a time of 35:20.6, while fellow junior Amari McKinnon completed the Tigers' lineup with a 65th-place finish in 35:51.7.
Murphy, Williams, Parks, and Walkes were each credited with personal-best performances on the official timing sheet, highlighting a productive morning for the Tigers. The men's 8K competition featured 78 finishers.
Both the Edward Waters men's and women's cross country teams will return to action Friday, October 16, when they travel to compete in the Ed Holloway Classic, hosted by Florida Southern College.
The meet will provide another opportunity for the Tigers and Lady Tigers to build on their recent performances as they continue their preparations for the championship portion of the 2026 cross country season.
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