The 2026 Eye Opener Cross Country Preview

2026 South Carolina cross country
John Olson
The 2026 Eye Opener in Spartanburg starts Friday night with the college men's 8K and women's 6K on Milliken Research Park property. 

Milliken is site of the 2026 NCAA Division I Cross Country Southeast Regionals Nov. 21.

High school races start at 8 a.m. Saturday.

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The first Eye Opener was contested Sept. 4, 1984 on the campus of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. Five teams with 54 runners (45 boys/9 girls) participated in the inaugural event.

Saturday's high school cross country races will be made of 139 teams with a total of 3,658 cross country runners.

Live results on MileSplit SC by Timing Inc


Editor's note: Our senior editor ran this race three years in the late 1990s when it was held at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind. In 1999, the race had two start lines. Read the preview below and discuss on our Facebook page your predictions before and after Saturday's Eye Opener cross country races.


MILESPLIT SC EYE OPENER BOYS PREVIEW
HS BOYS 5K
Wilson Rutherford V
Brooks Barbee
Reynolds Young
Dallas Reeves
Jack Willcox
Jack Dennehy
Trip Hunt
Daniel Campbell
Brody Webb
Hudson Kennemore
How Tight Is This Race?
Each athlete's season best shown on one scale. Tap or hover a dot.
Just 51 secs separates the field
14:40
15:31
14:20
14:30
14:40
14:50
15:00
15:10
15:20
15:30
15:40
15:50
the leader
14:40.00 · Wilson Rutherford V
14:40.00
PB
LAST 3 RACES
25th
15:27.11
3rd
15:18.00

Christ School (N.C) is the boys projected team winner, according to the MileSplit SC analysis of entries. J.L. Mann and Lexington will be in a battle for the two and three team scoring place. Five of the top entries have a 5,000-meter run time under 15:13 with Brooks Barbee of Christ School with a 14:59. South Carolina is led by Wilson Rutherford V of Waccamaw and Jack Willcox of Heathwood Hall.

Wilson Hall, Mauldin and Greer Middle College will also be in the mix for top five teams.

Do you have Eye Opener boys cross country race predictions to share? Join the discussion on the MileSplit SC Facebook page.


HS GIRLS 5K TIMES FROM 2025
MILESPLIT SC EYE OPENER GIRLS PREVIEW
Anna Cavallon
Avery Griffith
Kaylee Rovenstine
Laura Perry
Jayda Dyke
Kaylee Degirmenci
Giada Carge
Cate Leppard
Susana Martinez
Dorothy Hutchins
Evelyn Mercer
McKee Kent
How Tight Is This Race?
Each athlete's season best shown on one scale. Tap or hover a dot.
Just 63 secs separates the field
17:53
18:56
17:30
17:40
17:50
18:00
18:10
18:20
18:30
18:40
18:50
19:00
19:10
19:20
the leader
17:53.12 · Anna Cavallon
17:53.12
PB
LAST 3 RACES
44th
18:38.82
4th
18:34.49
South Carolina girls cross country teams Heathwood Hall and Mauldin are projected to race North Carolina's North Lincoln girls cross country for the team title. The projected team scores on MileSplit SC have a spread of 60 points from first to third in team scores.

Bluffton, Fort Mill, Chapin, Landrum and Charlotte Country Day should also be in the mix for top eight.

South Carolina leads the individual race top five with Evelyn Mercer (Palmetto Christian), Dorothy Hutchins (Heathwood Hall) and Avery Griffith (Mauldin) are entered with times under 18 minutes for the 5,000-meter run. Kaylee Rovenstine (Fort Mill) and Laura Perry (Philip Simmons) are in the mix for the top spots.

Do you have Eye Opener girls cross country race predictions to share? Join the discussion on the MileSplit SC Facebook page.

Other cross country meet notes

Clover alumna Ella Nighbor is making her college cross country debut with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

Have alumni news and other story ideas to share? Email John scmilesplitus@gmail.com.