CHARLESTON, Ill. — Little Rock outperformed expectations at the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships with a strong showing, highlighted by three all-conference selections: graduate student
Jordan Smith, sophomore
Aaliyah Joshua, and freshman
Zach Morin.
Smith once again led the Trojan men, finishing as Little Rock's top performer at the OVC Championship with an 11th-place finish in 24:41.97. Morin followed close behind in 13th with a time of 24:52.86, earning all-conference honors as a freshman. On the women's side, Joshua continued her role as the Trojans' top finisher, matching her ninth-place result from last season to once again earn all-conference honors.
It was a frigid Halloween morning, and the championships began under strong wind gusts and cold temperatures on a flat, fast course. The men's race went out hard, with Smith and Morin staying near the front of the pack. As the race progressed, the Trojans held their pace and finished strong.
Little Rock placed sixth in the men's team standings—two spots higher than its preseason prediction. Despite losing the top six runners from last year, the Trojans finished just one place behind the 2024 squad, showing depth and resilience. Six men raced, five of whom ran personal bests, with two earning all-conference honors.
Head coach
Jordyn Naylon praised the team's effort.
"I'm really happy with the showing from both sides. The men stepped up today, with most hitting PRs on a fast course. We didn't have our top six from last year, so finishing just one spot behind that team in sixth is impressive. Devin had the biggest PR of the day, improving by about a minute," Naylon said.
"The women have been working through some confidence issues this season and really showed up today. They listened well, moved up through the race, and earned solid PRs. It was fun to see them competing and finishing strong—it's a good foundation to build on."
Smith, competing in his final conference meet, reflected on his performance.
"It feels great to finally earn all-conference in cross country," Smith said. "I definitely wanted more from the race, but I'm thankful for what I achieved and for the support from my team and the program along the way."
Junior
Devin Stevens ran a breakthrough race, improving his time by more than a minute with a mark of 26:27.90. Sophomore
Owen Church lowered his PR by seven seconds, while freshman
Connor King, returning from injury, ran a solid 26:44.06. Junior
Shane Fisher, who has battled health issues recently, finished third among Trojan runners and came within 10 seconds of his best time.
Morin, the freshman standout, shared his excitement after crossing the finish line in 13th.
"Finishing all-conference as a freshman feels amazing," Morin said. "I prepared and practiced the right way all season, and it all came together when it mattered."
The women's race went out fast as temperatures began to rise, with Joshua maintaining a position near the front. The rest of the squad ran in close support, showing consistency and teamwork.
The Trojans placed eighth in the women's team standings, led by Joshua's ninth-place finish in 21:38.56, a personal best by more than 10 seconds and her second straight all-conference honor.
Sophomore
Kamryn Baggs set a PR of 22:34.99, while junior
Kennedie Rhein recorded a season-best 23:23.00. Freshmen
Eva Tice,
Amidat Olokunola, Katie de Gorostiza, and
Maddie Cottier all turned in strong efforts to close out their first conference season.
Joshua reflected on her performance and back-to-back honors.
"I think I ran really well today," Joshua said. "It feels great to be all-conference two years in a row. It shows I'm improving and capable of competing at a higher level. I'm really looking forward to regionals."
Little Rock now turns its focus to the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in two weeks in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where a select group of Trojans will compete.
Full results from the OVC Championships can be found below.
Little Rock Women
Name Time
Little Rock Men
Name Time
For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country/Track and Field, check out LRTrojans.com. You can also follow the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Get the latest Trojan news, including the weekly Trojan Report, delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for Little Rock Trojan E-News
here.
#LittleRocksTeam | #RockSolid
