With everyone gearing up for the upcoming athletic season at Augusta University, recruitment is winding down.
The AU cross-country teams have high anticipation for how this fall’s teams will size up for competition, as it’s not just the runners who left the team that change things up, but the runners who are recruited.
After the 2025 cross-country season, the teams lost some absolute powerhouse runners, including Madison Thomas, who was the Peach Belt Conference runner of the year.
“We have some freshmen coming in on both the men’s and women’s sides who have major potential to make a huge impact early on, which is exciting,” said Jacob Burgamy, the AU men and women’s cross-country coach.
On the women’s side, top recruits include Ella Gibbs, Kaitlyn Lumbra and Reagan Paine. Gibbs is from Bleckley County High School in Cochran. Her PR in the two-mile run is 10:41.03. Lumbra is from Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt., with a PR in the 5-kilometer race of 18:57.90. Paine is from Allatoona High School, and her PR in the 5K is 19:48.30.
The Jaguar coach emphasized how the program is geared toward more long-term development, which makes all the incoming fresh talent all the more exciting, as these runners will grow over the years at Augusta.
On the men’s side, the top newcomers include Olly Morris, Ryder Garrett and Austin Chrouch. Morris comes from Honiton, England, with a 5K best of 14:55. Garrett comes from Bleckley County with a PR in the mile of 4:15. Chruch is from Whitewater High School with a 15:45 in the 5K.
Burgamy has taken the cross-country and long-distance track teams to another level. Since he’s been coaching at AU, the men’s team has either won conference or place second. Burgamy touched on this after a recent practice.
“We’ve been able to continually elevate the level of recruit that we’ve been able to bring in each year,” he said, “so the impact that some of them could potentially make in conference, regional and nationals early on is a huge difference.”
And with the teams having sent two runners, Nasrudin Mohamed and Thomas, to the NCAA Division II national cross country-championship last year in Kenosha, Wis., the possibility of having a larger group of athletes qualify, and possibly even both full teams, is making the runners in the program all the more excited for the upcoming season.
On the track-and-field side of things, recruitment is still underway. Burgamy and assistant coach and former NAIA all-American 400m runner Briana Tillman led both the men and women’s outdoor teams to second place at the PBC outdoor championships back in the spring.
“This year we have a team that can dominate, and I look forward to watching it blossom,” Tillman said.
Burgamy credits a lot of the track team’s success not only to the athletes’ hard work, but also to Tillman.
“She’s doing an amazing job with that side of the team, and with her leading them and the class of recruits that we’ve brought in, I don’t doubt that the trend will continue,” Burgamy said.
Cross-country season will begin with the 36th annual Eye Opener XC Festival in Spartanburg, S.C., on Sept. 4. The second meet will be Sept. 11 in the Queen City Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
Contact Anna Biondolillo at abiondolillo@augusta.edu.
