ATLANTA, Ga. (October 6, 2025) –
Layton Bradford (Piedmont) was named Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Men’s Cross Country
Runner of the Week, while
Jesse Gassmann (Asbury) earned
Rookie of the Week, released by the league office on Monday.
RUNNER OF THE WEEK – Layton Bradford, Piedmont
Graduate Student | Alex City, Ala.
Piedmont graduate student Layton Bradford turned in a strong showing at the Georgia Tech XC Invitational, finishing 25th overall in a competitive 110-runner field. Bradford clocked a time of 25:56.3 over the 8K course, helping represent one of just three NCAA Division III programs competing in the meet.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK – Jesse Gassmann, Asbury
Freshman | Churchville, Pa.
Asbury freshman Jesse Gassmann continued to impress, leading the Eagles at the Louisville Classic with a personal-best 8K time of 27:46.4. Gassmann placed 50th out of 237 runners in the field.
OTHER PLAYERS NOMINATED
| MEN’S RUNNER OF THE WEEK |
Ethan Saiki (Covenant); Garrett Masters (Belhaven) |
| MEN’S ROOKIE OF THE WEEK |
Max Bowling (Belhaven) |
PAST WEEKLY HONOREES
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
Follow all things #CCS on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.