Freshman Rylee Fisher Set to Represent Eagles at NAIA Nationals

Columbia, Missouri - Freshman standout cross-country runner Rylee Fisher had an outstanding first season running for the Eagles.  She helped senior Brooke Simon and sophomore Sara James lead the Eagles to one of the best seasons in the program's history.  Many records were broken throughout the season, and it peaked at the AAC Championships in Knoxville, TN, where the team finished in fourth place - which was the highest finish on the women's side.  There were several freshmen who helped this progress along with Fisher - which gives a bright outlook on Coach Austin Brennan's XC team!   Slowly, the men's and women's XC and track and field teams are creeping into the stronghold that Milligan, Montreat, and Tennessee Wesleyan have had in the running department of the AAC.

Out of all the RU runners on both the men's and women's side for Reinhardt, Fisher was the sole qualifier for the NAIA Nationals.  This is a great accomplishment for any athlete in the NAIA, but for a freshman to do, this is truly remarkable and shines a light on the bright future for Fisher and the RU Women XC runners.

Coach Brennan had this to say about Fisher's accomplishments this season, "Rylee has had a tremendous first XC season! She has bought in 100% and has seen the benefits! I'm excited to see her run at Nationals! She put in a lot of work from Summer till now and gets to go show the NAIA how good she is!"

Fisher, a native of Canton, GA, and a graduate of Sequoyah High School made her mark early on the program and was always in the top one or two positions for the Eagles this season. In high school, she was a 4-time state qualifier, 3-time regional champion, 3-time county champion, 4th overall place in Cherokee County, and 6th overall in the region.

Outside of running, Fisher enjoys crocheting, drawing, and journaling. She is definitely an Eagle to be watched and has the potential to do great things for Reinhardt XC over the next three years.

Fisher shared her thoughts on the first semester at RU: "I've really enjoyed being on a small campus this year! Being able to easily connect with my coach and work through any running problems has been very helpful in me improving so much this year. Also, I've loved having teammates around me to push on workouts yet still be able to relax together on an easy run."

The NAIA Women's Cross Country Finals is set for this Friday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri. The men will run at 10:30 am CST, and the women will run at 11:30 am CST.  Full results and additional information can be found on the NAIA XC website:  https://www.naia.org/sports/wxc/2024-25/Releases/Schedule

Congratulations, Rylee Fisher, and we look forward to watching you run at the Nationals!