William Poe and Elijiah Rivera Lead Tampa at SSC Championships
LAKELAND, Fla. – The University of Tampa men's cross country team earned a fourth-place finish at the 2025 Sunshine State Conference Championship, hosted at Holloway Park in Lakeland. The Spartans tallied 84 points with a combined team time of 2:07:30 over the 8K course.
Sophomore William Poe led the way for Tampa, placing seventh overall in a time of 24:59.4, marking another strong championship performance for the Spartans' top runner. Close behind was freshman Elijiah Rivera, who continued his breakout season by finishing 10th in 25:11.2 to join Poe among the meet's top 10 finishers.
Senior Ayden Estevez was Tampa's third scorer, clocking 25:24.3 for 16th place, while sophomore Declan Fiorucci crossed in 25:56.2 for 27th place. Rounding out the scoring five was Xavier England, who placed 28th with a 25:58.7 showing. Zachary Kehler (31st, 26:03.3) and Anthony Verdi (37th, 26:16.4) added depth to the Spartan lineup.
Florida Southern claimed the conference title with 31 points, followed by Embry-Riddle (60), Palm Beach Atlantic (68), and Tampa (84).
Top Tampa Runners
| Runner | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|
| William Poe | 7th | 24:59.4 |
| Elijiah Rivera | 10th | 25:11.2 |
| Ayden Estevez | 16th | 25:24.3 |
| Declan Fiorucci | 27th | 25:56.2 |
| Xavier England | 28th | 25:58.7 |
| Zachary Kehler | 31st | 26:03.3 |
| Anthony Verdi | 37th | 26:16.4 |