COLUMBUS, Ga. | For the Columbus State University Men's and Women's Cross Country programs, the 2025 season offered glimpses of what could be possible when talent, health, and team chemistry aligned.
The men earned a pair of podium finishes during the regular season before placing fifth at the Peach Belt Conference Championship, while the women broke through with a team victory at the CAU Panther Invitational. Both programs closed the year at the NCAA Southeast Regional with motivation to carry forward into a new campaign.
For Head Cross Country / Track & Field Coach Xavier Matthews, the direction of the two programs is clear.
"I would best describe the seasons for both teams as progress in the right direction," Matthews said.
That progress showed throughout the fall.
The men's team opened the 2025 season with a third-place finish at the VSU Border Clash before placing fifth at the UNG XC Invitational and sixth at the GCSU Bobcat Invite. The Cougars then produced one of their strongest performances of the year at the CAU Panther Invitational, finishing second out of six teams.
"Both performances showed me what we can do when everyone is healthy," Matthews said of the team's podium finishes at Valdosta State and Clark Atlanta. "We have the talent, but real life hides it from us at times."
CSU went on to place fifth out of nine teams at the PBC Championship in Milledgeville, Ga., before concluding the season 19th among 25 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
One of the runners expected to help push that progress forward is junior Logan Terwilliger.
The Columbus, Ga., native competed in four cross country meets during his sophomore campaign, posting a season-best 8K time of 30:31.2 while finishing 12th at the CAU Panther Invitational. Terwilliger followed with a 30:33.0 at the PBC Championship before making the jump to the 10K at the NCAA Southeast Regional, where he finished in 38:22.3.
For Terwilliger, however, one of the most important lessons of 2025 had little to do with his own time.
"One of the biggest things I learned about myself as a runner was that I don't always have to be the fastest to help my teammates during a race," Terwilliger said. "One example was regionals last year. We ran a 10K, and I saw one of my teammates struggling, so I pushed myself to get to them and tried to help them through it."
That team-first mentality is one Matthews expects Terwilliger to carry into a larger role this fall.
"For me, leadership looks like leading by example, but also being there for everyone," Terwilliger said.
Matthews sees Terwilliger following the example established by previous leaders within the men's program.
"For my guys, Logan Terwilliger will lead the charge with the same leadership as Blake Lewis and Owen Hartshorn before him," Matthews said. "Ian Palomares, Shaun Williams, and Moses Adams will add some much-needed depth to our men's roster."
For Terwilliger, taking another step will require more than strong performances at the front of the pack.
"The one thing I think we have to work on as a team is staying healthy, but also staying motivated through the whole season," Terwilliger said.
Health was a recurring theme for both programs in 2025, but the women's team showed its potential when the pieces came together.
After opening the 2025 fall season seventh at the VSU Border Clash, the Cougars recorded back-to-back eighth-place finishes at the UNG XC Invitational and GCSU Bobcat Invite. Their breakthrough came on Oct. 11 at the CAU Panther Invitational.
Columbus State won the team title, and junior Layla Albright led the way by winning the 5K in 21:20.7.
For Albright, the victory remains significant not simply because she crossed the finish line first, but because of how the result came together alongside her teammates.
"That race will always be very special to me," Albright said. "I had the chance to run alongside my teammate Noah for the vast majority of the race, and it felt like a direct showing of not only our hard work, but the exact type of race we had planned for. It took a lot of working together in practice and constantly simulating an outcome similar to the one we had, but moments like that make it worth it."
The women's team went on to place seventh out of 11 programs at the PBC Championship before finishing 20th out of 24 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
Albright continued progressing individually as the postseason arrived. She ran 21:07.4 at the PBC Championship before setting a personal best in the 6K with a time of 25:43.6 at the NCAA Southeast Regional.
Her motivation extended beyond individual improvement.
With a young roster around her throughout 2025, Albright began to recognize the influence she could have on the culture being established within the program.
"Having such a large group of first-years looking up to me always encouraged me to work my hardest and try my very best," Albright said. "My role was very unique in that I had the chance to influence the culture in a very significant way. I realized this early on, and from there my reason and purpose was far beyond myself. Remembering my 'why' kept me responsible, motivated, and working hard through the entire season."
That responsibility will continue into 2026.
Matthews expects Albright to set the tone for a women's roster that returns several runners from last season while adding another collection of newcomers.
"On the women's side, I believe Layla Albright will be the one leading the charge," Matthews said. "She's had the reins since her freshman year, and this year she has the bodies to make a true push come conference. The same goes for all my other returning ladies. We were plagued with unfortunate situations last season, but this one feels more special."
Freshmen Hadiya Ali, Alaiya James, and Berkeley Pollard are among the newcomers Matthews believes can bring additional energy and personality to the women's program.
For Albright, that personality is already one of the team's greatest strengths.
"This group of women is incredibly special to me," Albright said. "The most exciting part to me is the positivity that comes so naturally to each and every one of us. If you are having a bad day, by the end of practice you will have forgotten why."
That positivity also comes with accountability.
"Everyone is so uplifting and encouraging, but also extremely honest," Albright added. "People that keep you accountable and are willing to have tough conversations will help you go a very long way. For these characteristics to show up in such a young team is very promising for the years to come."
It is that development away from the competition that Matthews believes could make the greatest difference in 2026.
"I see the growth in togetherness and mentality," Matthews said. "Previous years felt somewhat disconnected, but both teams already have a deep bond. If we can bring that to a course, we can give any team a run for their money. I don't care who it is."
The Peach Belt Conference coaches will give CSU an opportunity to prove it.
The Columbus State men enter the campaign selected sixth in the 2026 PBC Preseason Coaches Poll after collecting 28 points. The women received 44 points and were selected seventh, matching their finish at last season's conference championship.
Those rankings provide a starting point, but Matthews' definition of a successful season stretches beyond where either team appears in a preseason poll.
"A successful 2026 for us would be a season with minimal injuries, a higher conference placement, and most importantly, fun," Matthews said. "If we weigh ourselves down with stress, worry, and uncertainty, we'll be operating suboptimally. We need to keep our energy high, hold each other accountable, and maintain a standard of positivity."
With experienced runners stepping into leadership roles, additional depth arriving on both sides, and two young teams growing together, the Cougars enter 2026 looking to turn last season's flashes into a more consistent product.
The objective is improvement. The foundation is team chemistry.
And Matthews has made the mentality expected of his program clear.
"We are Cougars," Matthews said. "Cougars fight, win, and dominate."
Columbus State begins the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Julius Johnson Invitational in Macon, Georgia.
