ACWORTH, Ga. - Senior distance runner Taylor Wade began his cross country campaign with a four-mile race victory at the Stan Sims XC Opener on Friday morning. Tech finished second in the team standings of both races.
Wade enjoyed a strong junior season earning his first career cross country win in last season’s home invitational and breaking the outdoor 5000m program record (13:40.71) during track season. He went straight to work as he emerged as the day’s leader at the 1200m checkpoint.
The battle for the race lead was between Wade and Kennesaw State’s Collins KipKemboi who was seeking to go back-to-back after his win in 2025. KipKemboi held a slight lead at the halfway point before the two went stride for stride. Wade broke away and crossed the line first at 18:47.9, just two seconds ahead of the Owl runner.
A group of Yellow Jackets finished behind and claimed eighth through 11th to round out the team scoring. Alexander Arrambide led the pack at 19:44.3 with Richard Planck and Matt Castronuovo rounding out the top-10. Kushan Patel recorded his highest cross country finish in 11th. The Jackets scored 39 points to finish second overall behind No. 21 Florida with 33 points.
The next race saw Claire Shelton and Lottie Chappell among the front runners early. The two were among the lead pack of runners before Shelton etched out a lead at the second checkpoint. Florida’s Isobelle Jones claimed the lead during the final stretch and finished first at 17:58.0. Shelton was within touching distance to claim second place at 18:00.4.
Chappell secured a top-five finish and placed fourth with a 18:05.3 time with Stella Chambless placing seventh. Sophomore Maddie Jones finished 15th overall ahead of collegiate debutant Annie Lewis in 16th place. Tech locked down second place in the team standings with 44 points behind No. 14 Florida at 24 points.
Three personal best times were set during the four-mile race including Wade (18:47.9), Richard Planck (19:56.0), and John Jessup (20:13.1).
Georgia Tech returns to action at the Southern Showcase on September 18, in Huntsville, Alabama, at the John Hunt Cross Country Park.
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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