For one group of individuals, the ability to compete for a national championship in Friday's NAIA National Championship Meet is destiny -- and a chance to show the nation what they can do against the best of the best.

For another group, the opportunity to race on Friday represents another opportunity to go after a goal of theirs, as brothers competing to uphold the tradition of the Shawnee State men's cross country program.

The women's cross country runners competing in the national championship for Shawnee State -- Juniper Allen, Olivia Cisco, Hadlee Cisco, Jessica Elick, Kirsten Evans, Payton McQuirt, Beth Middleton, and Sydney Reed -- along with the men's cross country triplets -- Isaiah, Kaiden and Trevor Lanoy -- will look to make the most of their opportunities at the site of this season's national meets -- which will take place at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. Friday morning. The women's race will commence at 8:30 a.m. while the Lanoy triplets will race in the men's meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Sunshine State.
Olivia Cisco, who along with Evans, Middleton, and Reed, will be the four seniors representing Shawnee State in the race on the women's side, will be making her second consecutive appearance in the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championship Meet. In 2024, Cisco finished 52nd overall after running what was a then-personal best and new school record of 22:11 in the 6K, finishing just 12 spots back of NAIA All-American honors.

Since then, Cisco has finished under a 22:11 in the 6K three separate times this season alone -- and the now two-time River States Conference Runner-Up has finished no worse than 16th individually in any meet in 2025.

Closing out their careers in strong manners in their own right, Middleton (23:34) and Evans (25:47) each ran personal best times in the 6K at the River States Conference Championship Meet, while Reed finished within seven seconds of matching her personal best in the same meet. Middleton earned Second-Team All-RSC honors in 2025, a step up from Third-Team accolades in 2024, as a result of her PB.

Allen and Elick -- the juniors competing for the Shawnee State women's squad -- enjoyed strong performances of their own at the River States Conference Championship Meet. Elick, in fact, finished right behind Cisco, using a career-best 22:49 to finish in third place and join Cisco on the First-Team All-RSC list in the process. Allen, who also claimed All-RSC honors along with Cisco, Elick and Middleton, earned Third-Team All-RSC honors for the third consecutive season as a result.

McQuirt and Hadlee Cisco -- true freshmen who are making their first appearance at the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships -- have been inside Shawnee State's top-eight runners throughout much of the season. McQuirt, who has consistently established herself as a top three or four runner for the Shawnee State women's cross country program from the jump, ran a terrific 23:47 for her new personal best in a Shawnee State running uniform -- earning Second-Team All-RSC honors -- while Hadlee Cisco ran a personal best of 26:08, besting her old mark by two seconds in the event.

"Having this women's team qualify for the national championships is very special to me," Flynn said. "This core group of upperclassmen on the women's side have worked so hard the past three years to be at this point. All seasons of the year, they have done everything asked of them and then some. The new additions this year have also complimented them very well and added a piece that we needed. The mindset and attitude amongst the team has been nothing but excitement. The women's team has been ready to take advantage of this opportunity ever since they were given the nod. Practice the last couple weeks has been some of the best we've had all season. This team is clicking at the right time, and I'm excited for them."
Now 8-for-8 in national championship qualifications, combined, for their careers, Shawnee State juniors Kaiden and Trevor Lanoy and Shawnee State redshirt sophomore Isaiah Lanoy will look to make what will ultimately be their final national championship appearances at the NAIA level count in a major way.

In their three seasons as cross country runners, Kaiden Lanoy and Trevor Lanoy have each earned two First-Team and one Second-Team All-RSC nod apiece -- while Isaiah Lanoy has earned two First-Team All-RSC honors after finishing fourth and second at the 2024 and 2025 River States Cross Country Championship Meet with Lanoy running under 25:10 in back-to-back RSC Championship Meets in the 8K for his two top-five finishes in the race.

"I'm happy to have all three Lanoys on the line for the national championships," Flynn said. "To go a combined 8-for-8 as cross country national qualifiers in their career is an underrated accomplishment. They are great at what they do and compete at a high level. I have the utmost confidence that they will have a great day and represent Shawnee State well." With a healthy pedigree of running experience and talent between each of the 11 runners taking part in Friday's national championship races, Flynn is confident about his runner's chances to compete.

"We don't want to be content with just being in the race," Flynn said. "That was the first step -- getting in. Now our focus has shifted," Flynn said. "I'd love to see the women take a shot at the Top 20, or even higher. I know this is something we are capable of. For the Lanoys, I'd like to see them improve upon their career best national placements. Most importantly, I want to see all the athletes put themselves in position to succeed, and leave it all out there."

For more information on the Shawnee State women's cross country program, follow the Bears on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shawnee_state_xctf/.