The Dalton State men's cross country team entered this season as defending Southern States Athletic Conference champions and the pre-season #1 to win the conference. The season had many highs and lows, but the Roadrunners were able to perform at a high level with a young team.

University of Georgia Invitational

The Roadrunners opened their season on a sunny Saturday morning on September 3rd in Athens at the University of Georgia's Equestrian Center. The event was set for a distance of 8K and served as the first college race for freshman runners Ryan Gebelein, Henson Gibbs, David Murillo, and Devin Swafford. The path to victory looked rocky as senior All-American Spencer Head was pulled out of the race at the 3-mile mark due to an aggravated hamstrung injury. Despite the necessary precaution, the team won big in their first non-division outing by securing 1st place out of three teams in the event.

Dalton State Cross Country Classic

The Grove Level North Park in Varnell, Georgia, set the stage on September 17th for a strong showing for the Roadrunners in the 2nd Annual Dalton State Cross Country Classic. The individual men's championship was dominated by William Carey's All-American and two-time NAIA Individual National Champion Geoffrey Kipchumba in 1st place with a time of 25:12. Behind Kipchumba, the Roadrunners would place two of its runners in the top ten. Ryan Gebelein would go on to finish in 4th place and sophomore Cole Thornton would finish in 6th place. The teams total scoring would secure them a 2nd overall standing behind champion Bethel University.

Greater Louisville Classic

The Roadrunners traveled to Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 1st for a tough race of thirty-five teams. The team was led again by Ryan Gebelein with a time of 26:58, followed by David Murillo (27:19) and Cole Thornton (27:34). Devin Swafford (28:29) and junior Saddoth Fraire (28:51) would finish to round out the Roadrunners score for a placement of 26th out of 35 for the event.

Front Runner Invitational

The Roadrunners were set for another challenging race against a host of NCAA Division 1 competitors as they travelled to the Front Runner Invitational hosted by the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga on October 15th. Despite the fierce opponents, Ryan Gebelein finished 20th overall with a time of 27:35. He was followed by Saddoth Fraire in 22nd and David Murillo in 23rd with identical times of 28:27.

Sand Shark Invitational

The teams return to form continued at the Sand Shark Invitational hosted by University of South Carolina-Beaufort on October 22nd. The freshmen Roadrunners continued to perform as Ryan Gebelein led the team at 26:07 to finish 18th, and David Murillo crossed the line with a time of 26:36 to place 36th. The team finished 6th out of 23 teams and looked hopeful leading into the SSAC championship.

Southern States Athletics Conference Championship

The Roadrunners were unable to defend their championship title on November 4th, but performed admirably as they secured a 3rd place finish for the season out of seven teams. Ryan Gebelein finished 3rd overall with a time of 26:53, David Murillo secured 8th with a time of 27:42, Saddoth Fraire finished 12th with a time of 28:23, Devin Swafford and Cole Thornton rounded the team's score with 18th and 27th place finishes respectively.

The end of the championship marked the close of the Roadrunner's season. By virtue of finishing as the top runners not associated with a team that qualified for the NAIA National Championships, Ryan Gebelein and David Murillo both qualified individually for the National Championships and would move forward as Dalton State representatives.

NAIA Cross Country National Championship

The National Championships held at North Farm Cross Country Course in Elsah, Illinois on November 19th, served as an excellent experience for Ryan Gebelein and David Murillo. Though neither qualified for All-American titles, each performed well with Gebelein finishing with a time of 26:31 and Murillo with a time of 27:08.

Though the Roadrunners were unable to repeat as SSAC Champions, the growing performances of the newest members of the team make the future seasons ahead look bright.