Women's Cross Country

SAA Women's Cross Country Report - Oct. 21, 2025

CANTON, Ga.  –  Elena Gentry claims week eight Athlete of the Week honors from the Southern Athletic Association. 
  
Around the SAA: 
The Watson Collegiate XC Classic 2025 
Chattanooga Intercollegiate 
Southwestern Showdown 
Augustana Interregional Invitational 
Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble 
South Region Showdown 
Intercollegiate Border Battle 

Athlete of the Week: 
Athlete: 
Elena Gentry | Rhodes | SO – Sophomore Elena Gentry continued her outstanding season with a top-three finish at the Interregional Border Battle in Glassboro, New Jersey. Competing against one of the nation’s strongest Division III fields, Gentry placed 3rd overall with a time of 21:21.4 (5:43.7 per mile) on the 6k course. She came through the first mile in 5:38 and maintained an aggressive pace throughout, leading Rhodes to a fourth-place team finish out of a highly competitive national lineup. Gentry’s performance once again established her as one of the premier runners in the South Region, pacing the Lynx with confidence and consistency from start to finish. 
 


Notable Performances: 

  • Ella Williams | Berry | JR | North Little Rock, AR – A junior from North Little Rock, Ar. Williams helped lead the Vikings to an eighth place finish at the South Region Showdown. Williams placed 29th in a field of 200 with a time of 23:41.7 in the 6k. 

  • Sophie Bouldin | Centre | SR | Louisville, KY – Sophie Bouldin ran another very strong race in a senior season full of strong races as she competed in the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble. Bouldin toured the 3.73-mile course in 22:2.7 to finish tenth overall in a stacked field and helped the Centre women finish in third place out of 25 teams, mostly Great Lakes Regional opponents. 

  • Eleanor Graham | Sewanee | JR | Maryville, TN – Eleanor Graham finished ninth this past weekend, behind eight runners from No. 15-ranked Emory. Graham established a lifetime best of 23:39.68 for 6000m, knocking a minute off her previous best time set at the Mountain Goat Open two weeks earlier.  

  • Breanna Steele | Southwestern | SR | Happy Valley, OR– For the second consecutive year, Breanna Steele captured the individual title at the SU Showdown, winning the women’s 6K in 23:10, a 70-second season best (5k time would be 19:06). Her first-place finish led Southwestern University to a runner-up team performance, finishing behind only NCAA Division II Dallas Baptist University. Steele’s result is particularly notable as she has been steadily battling back from an injury that limited her summer training. Her resilience and strong leadership continue to set the tone for the Pirates as they enter the championship portion of the season. 

  • Gianna Keena | Trinity | SR | Lakeway, TX– Keena finished 22nd out of 349 competitors to lead Trinity's cross country team at the Augustana Interregional Invitational. She led the team to a 10th-place finish out of 40 teams, beating two nationally-ranked teams. Keena ran a 22:20 6K in warm and humid conditions and continued to pace Trinity's team. 

2025 Women’s Cross Country Report Archive (AOW) 
Week One – Sept. 2 (Gracie West) 
Week Two – Sept. 9 (Elena Gentry) 
Week Three – Sept. 16 (Gianna Keena) 
Week Four – Sept. 23 (Anna Cantrell) 
Week Six – Oct. 7 (Gianna Keena) 
Week Seven – Oct. 14 (None) 

For more information on all things SAA, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the SAA's home on the internet at www.saa-sports.com. Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Southern Athletic Association news by following @SAA_Sports on Twitter (X) and @SAA_Sports on Instagram.