Florida State XC Set to Host NCAA South Region Championships

Friday, November 13

9:30 a.m. (10K)

Florida State

NCAA South Regional Championships

11/12/2026 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

TALLAHASSEE –The Florida State cross country teams will host the NCAA South Region Championships on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park.

The women's 6k will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men's 10k at 9:30 a.m. The top two teams will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA championships that will be held in Terra Haute, Indiana, on Nov. 21.

The race will air on ESPN+ and live timing will be available.

The event will serve as one of nine NCAA regional meets across the nation this weekend that will provide athletes with the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Florida State will look to send team or individual qualifiers to the NCAA Championships with strong performances at the regional meet. The top two teams for each gender from each of the nine regions will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. The top four individuals not on those qualifying teams will also receive automatic bids to Indiana. Additionally, 13 teams and two individuals nationwide from each gender will receive at-large bids, which are set to be revealed during the NCAA Division I Cross Country Selection Show on Saturday at 5 p.m.

MEET NOTES
Florida State has claimed 12 regional team titles in program history, including seven on the women's side and five on the men's side. Individually, seven women and five men have captured regional championships. The women's team has recorded at least 16 top-three finishes, the most of any school in the South Region since 2001, while the men have achieved the feat 17 times.

Both teams enter this year's regional meet in the top 10 of the South Region as the women are currently ranked No. 3, while the men come in at No. 7.

The women's team is led by Bieke Schipperen, who has tallied two straight All-Region honors. Schipperen collected her first career region recognition in 2024 when the Seminoles hosted. The Netherlands native led the Seminoles to an at-large bid for the NCAA Cross Country National Championship and went on to finish in the top 100.

Joining Schipperen will be Rylee Blade, Nicole Dinan, and Bella Grenier. Brooke Hooper, Ella Menke, Lindy White, Avery Evans Cahoon, Tessa Eberts and Madie King will participate in the NCAA postseason for the first time in their careers.

Last season, Blade put together an impressive freshman campaign, leading the women's team as its top finisher in three consecutive races. The Corona, California, native earned her first All-Region honor and became the first true freshman since Alyson Churchill in 2022 to compete on the national stage.

On the men's side, Isaac Hirshman Chandler, Kaden Levings, Hudson Betts, Aidan Ryan, Finn Thomas, Josh Hicks, Alan Gallardo Lopez and Graham Myers will be in the lineup.

Levings played a key role in the men's team success, capping off his final ACC Championship appearance by helping Florida State secure a top-10 finish. He also earned his first career All-Region honor after placing 14th, marking the highest individual finish by a Seminole since 2023.

Hicks has also been a bright spot for the Seminoles to start off his career. The Tallahassee native has competed in five meets this season, recording two top-five individual finishes. At the FSU XC Invite on Oct. 9, Hicks posted the highest individual finish by a true freshman at a home meet since 2020.

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