KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Tennessee Southern women's cross country team continues to gain national recognition as the Firehawks received votes in the final NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll of the regular season.
UT Southern earned three votes in the latest national rating, placing the Firehawks among a select group of programs receiving consideration for the NAIA Top 25 entering conference championship season.
The recognition comes following another strong performance at the Appalachian Challenge, where UT Southern finished fifth in a field loaded with nationally ranked competition. The Firehawks placed behind only Milligan, Cumberlands, Rio Grande, and Southeastern while finishing ahead of several well-established NAIA programs.
Leading the way throughout the season has been junior Vera Maisaje, who has developed into one of the premier runners in the Southern States Athletic Conference. Most recently, Maisaje placed sixth overall at the Appalachian Challenge with a time of 18:22.3 while competing against runners from nationally ranked programs including Milligan and Cumberlands.
The Lagos, Nigeria native has been a driving force behind the Firehawks' success in 2026. Her season has included multiple school records, individual race victories, and five consecutive SSAC Runner of the Week honors. Maisaje has consistently led UT Southern against some of the strongest competition in the NAIA while helping elevate the program's national profile.
UT Southern has also benefited from a strong supporting cast throughout the fall. Alyssa Andrea, Uxue Armas, Lou-Anne Bernard, Claire Deaton, Courtney Dover, and several other Firehawks have contributed to a season that has seen the program compete successfully against nationally ranked NAIA opponents as well as NCAA Division I and Division II competition.
The latest poll was once again topped by Dordt (Iowa), followed by College of Idaho and Milligan, which remained the highest-ranked SSAC program at No. 3 nationally. Cumberlands made one of the biggest jumps in the rankings, climbing into a tie for No. 16 after entering the previous poll at No. 25.
As the regular season comes to a close, the Firehawks remain in the national discussion and continue building momentum toward postseason competition.
UT Southern will next compete at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship on Nov. 6 in Clinton, Mississippi, where the Firehawks will look to continue their strong season and strengthen their national résumé against the conference's top teams.
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