THE FLATS - The Georgia Tech cross country teams will start the 2026 season at the Stan Sims XC Opener on Friday, September 4, from Allatoona Creek Park. The Jackets swept the team races in the 2025 edition as Lottie Chappell recorded her first career race win.
Stan Sims XC Opener
- Friday, September 4
- Men’s 4-Mile | 8:30 a.m.
- Women’s 5K | 9:15 a.m.
- Allatoona Creek Park (Acworth, Ga.)
- Live Timing
The field includes hosts Kennesaw State, No. 21/14 Florida, and Emory. The Jackets have swept both team races in the last two seasons as the women’s squad has won the three consecutive editions. In 2025, Joey Sandel led Tech in the four-mile to finish fourth place as the women secured four of the top-five spots in the 5k.
The Jackets will have 10 returners on the men’s side, including freshman Luca Caruso from San Diego, California. The women’s squad will feature nine returners with five new additions including freshmen, Addy Elwell, Audrey Latham, and Annie Lewis along with Clemson transfer Elizabeth Healy and junior runner Ele Norton.
Georgia Tech was ranked inside the top-10 in the first batch of the USTFCCCA Cross Country Regional rankings this season, both squads coming in ninth amongst the south region. The Jackets were also ranked 13th and 17th in the ACC Men’s and Women’s Preseason Coaches Poll, respectively.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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