PETERSBURG, Va. - The Bowie State men's and women's cross-country teams competed Friday at the HBCU Cross Country Challenge at Randolph Farms in Petersburg, Va. The Bulldogs delivered strong performances against a highly competitive field, with both the men's and women's teams earning third place finishes in the 5K and 8K races.
Bulldog Women Finish Third
The Bowie State women's team tallied 67 points for the third place finish collectively, posting a combined team time of 2:22:36 and an average time of 28:31 per runner. Winston-Salem State captured the team title with 23 points, followed by Lincoln (PA) with 65 points. Virginia State finished fourth with 79 points, while Shaw rounded out the field with 109 points. Leilani Gibson once again paced the Bulldogs, finishing sixth overall in the women's 5K with a time of 23:45.0. Gibson averaged 7:38.6 per mile and recorded the fourth scoring position for Bowie State. Emetem Bezezuh followed closely behind, placing seventh overall in 24:06.2 with an average mile pace of 7:45.4. Destinie Mayo continued the Bulldogs' strong showing, finishing ninth overall in 25:54.9 and averaging 8:20.4 per mile. Skye Sargent-Thomas crossed the finish line 28th overall in 33:54.1, while London Simons rounded out Bowie State's scoring five with a 29th-place finish in 34:56.6.
Bulldog Men Place Third
On the men's side, Bowie State finished third overall with 61 points, behind Virginia State and Lincoln (PA). VSU captured the team championship with 28 points, while the Lions finished second with 54 points. WSSU placed fourth with 80 points. The Bulldogs posted a combined team time of 3:04:06, averaging 36:49 per runner. Sean Trader once again led the Bulldogs, earning a second-place overall finish in the men's 8K with a time of 30:37.2. Trader averaged 6:09.5 per mile and was the first Bowie State runner across the finish line. Chase Garcia delivered another strong performance, finishing sixth overall in 32:05.4 while averaging 6:27.3 per mile. Tyler Bowling followed with a 15th-place finish in 35:58.4, while Michael Price crossed the  line 18th overall in 36:18.2. Bernard Johnson completed the Bulldogs' scoring five with a 27th-place finish in 49:07.7. The HBCU Cross Country Challenge provided both Bowie State squads with another opportunity to compete against several CIAA opponents and continue building toward the championship portion of the 2026 season. Gibson, Bezezuh and Mayo led the women's effort, while Trader and Garcia paced the men's squad with top-10 finishes.
UP NEXT
Bowie State will continue its 2026 slate as the Bulldogs prepare for Lincoln (PA) University Challenge on Oct. 15 in Lincoln, Pa.
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