Cullowhee, N.C. -- The Western Carolina cross country teams are ready to open the 2025 season as they make the quick trip to Swain County and to Bryson City, N.C., to face off with mountain-rival UNC Asheville in the Duel in the Valley. The two teams will kick up some dust on the Kituwah Mound trail, with the women's 3K starting at 5:00 p.m. and the men's 6K race scheduled for 5:45 p.m.
The dual meet marks the first for the Catamounts since the 2017 Fast Cat Invitational, where WCU also ran against the Bulldogs. The Catamounts claimed wins in the men's and women's races, claiming a 20-39 victory on the women's side and a 24–33-point win by the men.
Friday's Meet:
Duel in the Valley | 3831 Ela Road, Bryson City, N.C.
Teams (2): Western Carolina vs. UNC Asheville
Women's 3K: 5:00 p.m.
Men's 6K: 5:45 p.m.
The Catamount cross country squad returns to action after a strong finish to the 2024 season on the men's side. The top-five finishers on the men's squad, including returners
Chase Thurber and
Lawson Mecom, picked up a second-place finish at the SoCon Championships last season and were tabbed in the preseason to repeat the feat.
Fellow returners
Justin Hayes,
Noah Luke,
Grant Parham,
Peter Schihl, and
Matthew Womack will look to bolster the Catamount finishers, while a deep crop of newcomers in
Jacob Campbell,
Eli Clonch,
Samuel Corso,
Matthias Peterson,
Alexander Ruge,
Jaleb Saunders, and
Bradley White push for strong finishes as well.
The women's team returns the entirety of its finishing five at the conference championships a year ago, with
Katherine Hopkins,
Peyton Skoglund,
Grace Lane,
Hannah Kliner, and
Riley McKinney all back in action for the 2025 season. Additionally,
Jessica Connole,
Landey Green,
Amaya Hicks,
Sydney Lowe,
Avery Mays, and Braelyn Shae-Wahy return, with newcomers
Madeline Hladik and
Ashlyn Watkins looking to make their mark early in the season.
Following the Duel in the Valley, the Catamounts will break for a week until traveling to Charlottesville, Va., to compete in the Virginia Invitational on Sept. 12.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount cross country and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountxctf).
