BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Cumberlands (Ky.) captured the 2025 Mid-South Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship today at Phil Moore Park.

The Patriots won their third-straight championship and a conference-best 15th title.

Cumberlands tallied a perfect score of 15, taking home the top-five scoring positions in the event. In fact, seven Patriots finished in the top 10 in the 8,000-meter race.

Bethel (Tenn.) finished second with a team total of 84 points, and Cumberland (Tenn.) ended in third with 85 points. Campbellsville (Ky.) finished fourth as a team with 99 points, followed by Lindsey Wilson's (Ky.) 109 points, Georgetown's (Ky.) 113 points, and Freed-Hardeman's (Tenn.) 125 points.

With the win, Cumberlands earns the Mid-South Conference's automatic bid into the NAIA National Championships scheduled for November 21 in Tallahassee, Florida.

Cumberlands' Ishak Mekideche won the individual title, crossing the finish line in 25 minutes and 36.18 seconds. With his finish, Mekideche earns first-team all-conference, MSC Runner of the Year, and MSC Freshman Runner of the Year.

Cumberlands' Ryan Ehrler finished runner-up and joined Mekideche on the conference's first team. He posted a time of 25:39.17.

The top seven finishers earn first-team all-conference honors, with the next seven earning second-team honors.

Joining Mekideche and Ehrler on the all-conference team are their teammates Niklas Scherb, Noah Loser, Hauke Trost, and Casey Desilvey, and Campbellsville's Martin Batel.

The second team includes Cumberlands Sean Crady, Caden Cull, and Ben Beilfub, Bethel's Cedrion Cook and Hudson Wallace, Campbellsville's Aaron Smith, and Lindsey Wilson's Dashawn Overly.

In addition to the Cumberlands team, Batel, Cook, Smith, and Overly all earn bids to the national championships as the first four runners not on the winning team and in the top 15.

Following the race, Cumberlands' Bradley Sowder was selected by his peers as the Mid-South Conference Men's Cross Country Head Coach of the Year. The honor is his second men's cross country coach of the year award.

Campbellsville's Hailey Shank was voted by the head coaches as the MSC Men's Cross Country Assistant Coach of the Year. The honor is her first.

First Team:

Name	School
Martin Batel	Campbellsville (Ky.)
Casey Desilvey	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Ryan Ehrler	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Noah Loser	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Ishak Mekideche	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Niklas Scherb	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Hauke Trost	Cumberlands (Ky.)

 

Second Team:

Name	School
Ben Beilfub	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Cedrion Cook	Bethel (Tenn.)
Sean Crady	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Caden Cull	Cumberlands (Ky.)
Dashawn Overly	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
Aaron Smith	Campbellsville (Ky.)
Hudson Wallace	Bethel (Tenn.)