The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Cross Country’s Bennett, McCullough collect SEC weekly honors
10.06.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Bennett earns first career Runner of the Week honor; McCullough collects third Freshman of the Week award.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas Men's Cross Country's Hudson Bennett has been named the Southeastern Conference Men's Runner of the Week, while freshman Kai McCullough earned his third SEC Men's Freshman of the Week honor following standout performances at the Chile Pepper Festival, the conference office announced Tuesday. It marks the first career weekly honor for Bennett and third of the season for McCullough.
Bennett placed third overall in the men's 8K at the Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, finishing in 24:09.8 to help Texas capture the team title with 64 points. Bennett moved from eighth at the mile split to seventh at the 5.5K mark before closing strong to secure a top-three finish.
McCullough finished seventh in the team scoring in 24:20.4 as the Longhorns placed three runners among the top seven in the team scoring. The freshman has earned SEC Men's Freshman of the Week honors three times this season, also receiving the award Sept. 8 and Sept. 15.
Bennett has competed in all four meets for Texas this season, establishing a new 8K best of 23:57.8 at the Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 25, after placing 16th in the Texas A&M Invitational. He also helped the Longhorns sweep the top seven spots at the Floyd Farms Invitational with a third-place finish on Sept. 4.
McCullough opened his collegiate career with a fourth-place finish at Floyd Farms in 16:15.9 before placing seventh at the Texas A&M Invitational in 24:18.6. He established a new 8K best of 24:04.3 at Gans Creek before placing seventh in the team scoring at Chile Pepper.
The Longhorns return to competition Oct. 16 at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas. The meet will mark Texas' second competition of the season at the Watts Cross Country Course, which will host the NCAA South Central Regional.
2026 Texas Cross Country Weekly SEC Awards
Sept. 8: Kai McCullough (Men's Freshman)
Sept. 15: Aidan Torres (Men's Runner), Kai McCullough (Men's Freshman)
Oct. 6: Hudson Bennett (Men's Runner), Kai McCullough (Men's Freshman)
