Women's Cross Country | 10/24/2025 9:11:00 PM

MACON, Ga. – Zhakeya Hawkins placed 10th to earn SIAC All-Conference honors as the Kentucky State women's cross country team finished sixth and the men's team placed ninth at the 2025 SIAC Cross Country Championship.
 
Along with her 10th-place finish leading the Thorobreds with a time of 21:21.91, Hawkins earned the SIAC Women's Cross Country Elite 16 Award, honoring her excellence both on the course and in the classroom, where she maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA.
 
Hawkins was followed by strong performances from Laila Jackson (29th, 23:37.66), Kylie Hollis (36th, 24:42.76), Hailey Tucker (57th, 26:53.87), Lenayah Thomas (62nd, 27:45.96), Tahja Mims (63rd, 27:46.02), and Kanylah Young (65th, 28:02.06).
 
On the men's side, Justin Smith paced Kentucky State with a 34th-place finish in 33:32.63, followed closely by Jeremiah Preston (37th, 33:36.13) and Montae Ashford (41st, 34:08.59). Joshua Merriweather (60th, 38:12.57), Anthony Jackson (74th, 41:12.04), and Matthew Fuqua (78th, 42:00.60) rounded out the scoring for the Thorobreds, who placed ninth overall in the men's team standings.
 
Both the men's and women's teams capped the 2025 season with top-10 finishes at the SIAC Cross Country Championship.
 
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