Top moments of 2025-26: No. 9 - Cross Country competes in snowy national championships

A pair of Gaston College cross country runner overcame a faced incredible challenges when an early November snowstorm blanketed the Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, for the National Junior College Athletic Association championship meet.

Despite the conditions, sophomore standouts Lexi Birtwistle and Maddie Frank finished 104th and 150th, respectively.

"I'm very proud of how Maddie and Lexi ran today," Gaston College cross country coach Kody Kubbs said after the Nov. 8 meet. "Obviously the conditions made for a slow race and the footing was bad between the snow and ice and mud.
"Based on the men's times for the race before ours, I told our ladies that the course was probably running about 90 seconds slower, which translated to how our times were."

Both sophomores from Belmont's South Point High School, Birtistle and Frank completed their careers as two of the best to ever compete for the program that officially restarted Gaston College's athletics in the fall of 2021.

Both were making their second straight NJCAA national championship meet appearance - and would three days later compete in their second straight NJCAA half marathon national championship in the same course.

Each completed their careers as two-time All-Region 10 honorees and Region 10 champions.

Birtwistle set a school record with three individual medalist honors highlighted by becoming the 2025 Region 10 medalist.

Frank finished second twice in her career, highlighted by being runner-up to Birtwistle in the 2025 Region 10 championships.