CLINTON, Miss. - Freshman De'Marion Sims ran a career-best 8K, and six Belhaven women set 6K personal records Friday morning at the Watson Collegiate Classic at Choctaw Trails.

Sims led the Belhaven men for the fourth straight meet, finishing 175th in 30:15.2. He took 57.8 seconds off his time from the Oct. 3 Belhaven Invitational and has lowered his 8K mark by 1:38.6 since his first race at the distance at Rhodes last month.

Junior Peyton Vandevuss placed 225th in 33:58.1, his fastest 8K this season. He improved by 1:32.4 from the Belhaven Invitational and ran 2.7 seconds faster than he did at last year's Watson Classic. His career best remains 32:52.8, set at the 2025 CCS Championships. Belhaven had two men in the race and did not record a team score.

Senior Ashley Davidson led the women for the fourth straight meet, placing 128th in 27:10.4. The time was her best 6K of the season, 1:04 faster than her Oct. 3 result. Davidson set her career best of 25:57.2 at the 2025 Watson Classic.

Courtney Adams and Virtasia Shepard finished one place apart in 144th and 145th. Adams ran 28:02.5, a personal best by 1:16.8. Shepard crossed in 28:08.4 and cut 1:30.8 from her previous best, the largest improvement among the Belhaven women.

Brycelyn Townsend placed 160th in 28:41.1, lowering her 6K best by 1:20. Mary Anderson completed the Blazers' scoring five in 173rd at 29:35.3, a personal best by 1:23. Abigail DeJesus (30:48.5) and Emily Gaudet (31:46.8) also recorded career-best 6K times.

Belhaven finished 22nd among 29 scoring women's teams with 621 points. The Blazers' five scoring runners combined for 2:21:37, more than four and a half minutes faster than their total at the Belhaven Invitational.

Watson Collegiate XC Classic - Women's 6K | Clinton, Miss.
22. Belhaven - 621 (106-119-120-133-143)
128. Ashley Davidson - 27:10.4 (season best)
144. Courtney Adams - 28:02.5 (PR)
145. Virtasia Shepard - 28:08.4 (PR)
160. Brycelyn Townsend - 28:41.1 (PR)
173. Mary Anderson - 29:35.3 (PR)
184. Abigail DeJesus - 30:48.5 (PR)
191. Emily Gaudet - 31:46.8 (PR)

Watson Collegiate XC Classic - Men's 8K | Clinton, Miss.
175. De'Marion Sims - 30:15.2 (PR)
225. Peyton Vandevuss - 33:58.1 (season best)

Up Next: The Blazers travel to Huntsville, Ala., for the Collegiate Conference of the South Cross Country Championships on Friday, Oct. 30.

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