November 2, 2026

Asbury Cross Country Places Eight on CCS All-Conference

ATLANTA, Ga. --- On Friday afternoon, the Asbury cross country teams competed at the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Championships in Huntsville, Ala. with eight student-athletes earning honors.

Eight AU student-athletes were named as CCS All-Conference runners including Lucas Hollinden and Emma Le Duc were recognized on First Team All-Conference. Noah Smith, Jojo Ernst, Zabrey Bortz, Bailey Gassmann, Emma Groff, Beth Ragain earned Second Team All-Conference. On top if the eight all-conference runners, AU also added two to the CCS All-Sportsmanship team, Lucy Kate Gibson and Jojo Ernst.

Hollinden, a Lexington, Ky., native, led the Eagles with a third-place finish in the men's race, crossing the finish line in 27:20.7. He also earned CCS Runner of the Week honors five times throughout the season.

Le Duc, a Beaver Dam, Wis., native, led the women's team with a fifth-place finish in 24:15.4.

Smith, a Fredericktown, Ohio, native, finished 10th overall with a time of 27:59.8.

Ernst, a Mount Vernon, Ohio, native, crossed the finish line in 28:01.2. The senior captain also earned recognition on the CCS All-Sportsmanship Team.

Bortz, a Somerset, Ky., native, rounded out the scoring for the men's team with a time of 28:06.7.

Gassmann, a Churchville, Pa., native, finished with a time of 24:28.7.

Groff, a Circleville, Ohio, native, crossed the finish line in 24:29.4.

Ragain, a Kailua, Hawaii, native, capped off a strong first season with the Eagles, finishing in 24:30.6 to round out the women's team's scoring.

Gibson, a Danville, Ky., native, was named to the CCS All-Sportsmanship Team, an award that honors one player from each team in the Conference who exudes sportsmanship and honor for the game, while playing at a high level. Lucy Kate embodies the mission of Asbury Athletics to serve, train, and compete for the glory of God. 

View the full story from the CCS here.

            
                

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