NASHVILLE — Tennessee State men's and women's cross country will remain close to home Saturday as the Tigers compete in the Michael Pretorius Invitational, hosted by Trevecca Nazarene at Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage Cross Country Course.

The men's 8,000-meter race is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by the women's 5,000-meter race at 9 a.m. The five-team Nashville-area field includes Tennessee State, Austin Peay, Fisk, Lipscomb and host Trevecca.

Saturday will mark the first collegiate cross country meet held at The Hermitage and the first 8K contested on the course.

Fans can follow the action through CFPI Timing, while the meet will be streamed live on FloCollege.

Tigers Carry Momentum into Saturday

Tennessee State returns to competition following a strong showing at the Legacy Series Invitational on Sept. 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.

The TSU men captured the team title with 32 points after placing five runners inside the top 10. The Tigers finished 12 points ahead of host Alabama A&M to secure their first team victory of the season.

Senior Eric Brannon led the Tigers with a runner-up finish, clocking a personal-best 16:59.3 in the 5K. Freshman Maxwell Myers followed in fifth at 17:39.6, while junior Delton White placed sixth with a personal-best 17:41.1.

Freshmen Marcel Lake and Landon Gragg completed TSU's scoring five with back-to-back top-10 finishes. Lake crossed ninth in a personal-best 18:08.3, while Gragg placed 10th in 18:22.8.

Saturday presents a new challenge for the men's squad as Tennessee State moves up to the 8K distance for the first time this season. The Legacy Series men's race was originally scheduled as an 8K before inclement weather halted the competition and forced the race to restart later as a 5K.

Young Women's Squad Continues to Build

The Tennessee State women will look to build on a fourth-place team finish at the Legacy Series Invitational, where all six Tigers recorded personal-best times.

Freshmen Jurnee Rutherford and Justice Scott paced TSU with consecutive finishes. Rutherford placed 20th in a personal-best 23:51.7, followed by Scott in 21st at 23:59.1.

Freshman Qiersten McClain finished 25th in 26:34.9, while junior Maleia Ali crossed immediately behind her in 26th at 26:36.7. Chelsea Knox and Keaira Smith rounded out the Tennessee State lineup.

Five of the six Tigers who competed in Huntsville were freshmen as the young group continues to gain collegiate racing experience ahead of the championship portion of the schedule.

Historic Setting

Saturday's meet will introduce collegiate cross country to The Hermitage, which has previously hosted numerous high school competitions. The property will also serve as the site of the 2026 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships on Nov. 6.

The annual Michael Pretorius Invitational honors former Trevecca cross country and track and field student-athlete Michael Pretorius, who passed away on July 31, 2022, following his second battle with cancer.

TSU will compete against a field made up entirely of Middle Tennessee programs, joining Austin Peay, Fisk, Lipscomb and Trevecca.

Lipscomb swept the men's and women's team titles at the 2025 Michael Pretorius Invitational, while Austin Peay finished third in both races.

Meet Information

Meet: Michael Pretorius Invitational
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
Location: Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage Cross Country Course | Nashville, Tenn.
Men's 8K: 8 a.m.
Women's 5K: 9 a.m.
Field: Austin Peay, Fisk, Lipscomb, Tennessee State, Trevecca
Live Results: CFPI Timing
Watch: FloCollege

Following Saturday's meet, Tennessee State will turn its attention to the Louisville Cross Country Classic on Oct. 3 in Louisville, Kentucky.