Nashville, Tenn. — On the morning of Friday, Nov. 6, the Union University men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed in the Gulf South Conference Championships at the Hermitage in Nashville. Both the men’s and women’s teams placed fifth overall, posting program record 8K and 6K times, respectively.
Notably, senior Aaron Fynaardt, with a fifth-place finish and personal best time of 23:59, now holds the program 8K record, the best time since 2007 (Aaron Rop, Memphis Twilight). He was named to the 2026 All-GSC first team.
Head Coach Tristan Kelly pointed to Aaron’s performance as the accomplishment that stands out to him of all the program records set by Union on Friday.
“Someone who embodies discipline and dedication is Aaron,” Kelly said. “I’m really proud of him, cause I know that he truly deserved that… I told him, look, I believe in you, and believe in yourself, because this is a result that you deserve.”
For the women, senior Addi Aguayo placed second overall with a time of 20:48, her career second-best after her performance in last year’s championship. Her back-to-back second place finishes in 2025 and 2026 are the highest finish for a Union runner at the conference championship in program history. She now holds the top five spots for program 6K finishes. She was named first-team All-GSC along with senior Victoria Markham, who placed sixth with a personal best (21:37).
Aguayo said that she’s been able to continue to push herself to a higher standard throughout her career because of a mindset shift.
“My first two years on the team, I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and forgot that running is a gift from God and for His glory,” Aguayo said. “This year, I’ve carried the mindset I had from last year, which is remembering why I run and who I run for: to steward this gift God has given me and to run for my team.”
She recognized Victoria as making incredible strides since her injury last spring and being a valuable teammate in terms of her character and love for Christ.
The women’s team, with a 6K time of 1:51:46, beat the record set at last year’s championship (1:53:32). The men’s team’s 8K program record came earlier this season, at the Greater Louisville Classic (2:07:14). In their fifth place championship finish, the team improved with a time of 2:06:45.
Kelly attributes much of the team’s success this season to the senior class. When a recruit asked him what one thing he wishes he could change about the team, his answer was the gap that the seniors are leaving. He is hopeful, however, about the younger athletes’ potential to lead.
“The seniors have been irreplaceable,” he said. “They’ve embodied what this program’s all about: pouring into young people, being committed to excellence, sacrificing for each other.”
Though conference competition is over, the seniors’ careers are not yet done. The teams will compete at the NCAA Division II South Region Championship in Huntsville, Ala. on Nov. 21.
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