The Oxford College men’s cross country team wrapped up their 2025 season in late October, after two months of competing across Georgia and South Carolina and facing challenges head-on.
The Eagles began their season competing at the Brewton-Parker Invitational on Sept. 26 in Mount Vernon, Ga. The team got off to a solid start, with freshmen David Henri and James Wang finishing sixth with a time of 29:17.3 and ninth with a time of 29:59.6, respectively. Together, the Eagles finished third out of four teams with a combined score of 74 points.
Despite a decent start on the course, freshman Demir Dilci said the season began with some early challenges, including issues for some athletes with submitting the documents required to compete.
“It was hard to balance the athletic side of getting forms signed and also the fact that we’re getting into classes, some of us being freshmen in this completely new environment,” Dilci said. “It was a hard balance as a team before even doing the practice and the meets, getting stuff done on time.”
At a meet hosted by Berry College (Ga.) on Oct. 4, the Eagles faced much stiffer competition. Henri led the team, placing 25th with a time of 28:54.8 in a field of almost 100 runners. Wang finished in the top half of runners at 38th place with a time of 29:58.7, and the team managed seventh place out of nine teams with 252 total points.
Two weeks later on Oct. 18, the Eagles traveled to South Carolina to compete at the Upstate Invitational. The competition was much even tougher than previous meets, as Oxford placed last of 26 schools with a total of 732 points.
Sophomore team captain Samuel Birkner said the team was training on a shorter time frame because of their unique offseason strategy.
“Cross country has always been a bit of an outlier,” Birkner said. “Unlike the other sports, we don’t bring people in early for training. Students are expected to be running on their own until we get onto campus.”
Dilci highlighted the importance of keeping team spirits high through emotional and physical support as the Eagles navigated these meets.
“It was really a mental battle,” Dilci said. “All of us together being able to motivate each other with words and also the physical attribute, like hugging afterwards and helping each other during the race, it really helped mentally.”
The Eagles also competed at the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Regional Championships on Oct. 24. Head coach Ella O’Kelley said without a standard track or nearby running course at Oxford, the team had to utilize the surrounding area leading up to the meet.
“We have to make do with our natural resources,” O’Kelley said. “We’ll go on the trail and do a lot of hills, we’ll go on a soccer field and do a lot of cross fields, go over to the [Georgia International] Horse Park and do a lot of mileage.”
Dilci noted how O’Kelley made sure each athlete was giving it their all during their practices.
“She’s like, ‘OK, I know you can kick for an entire mile — kick for one and a half miles,’” Dilci said. “[O’Kelley] would try and push me to my limits and see where I would end up.”
At regionals, O’Kelley’s training regimen showed its merits, and the Eagles came back from a tough season with some great placements to show for it.
The Eagles had a noteworthy showing, with Henri, Wang, freshman Tejin Mehta and sophomore Max Sausen claiming the top four spots in the 8K run. For their performance, these runners were also named to the GCAA All-Region Team. The Eagles won overall, earning an impressive combined score of 17 points.
Above all, Birkner said the team dynamics made this season a rewarding experience.
“We really did have a very strong bond — we made time for each other, we made the effort for each other,” Birkner said. “We were a really strong team, and I’m really glad that everyone who joined the team this year did. … It was a really great season.”
