NASHVILLE – Trevecca Nazarene University brings collegiate cross country to Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage Cross Country Course for the first time Saturday when the Trojans host the 2026 Michael Pretorius Invitational.
The men's 8,000-meter race begins at 8 a.m., followed by the women's 5,000-meter race at 9 a.m.
For more about the 2026 Pretorius Meet and Michael Pretorius, The Hermitage, Local food options, etc... check out this Meet Preview.
Saturday's meet is the first collegiate cross country event and first 8K race held at The Hermitage. The grounds have hosted numerous high school meets over the last several years, but the Michael Pretorius Invitational marks the facility's first opportunity to welcome a collegiate field.
"We are looking forward to hosting our first meet at The Hermitage," Trevecca Head Coach Kate Bucknam said. "This will serve as a great preview for our conference meet later this season and simply another opportunity for our athletes to compete and see where we are at."
The meet is Trevecca's first home competition under Bucknam and Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Joe Frye. It also gives the Trojans their first competitive look at the course that will host the 2026 Gulf South Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday, Nov. 6.
"I'm really excited about the progress we are making as a team, and it will be fun to showcase that on our new home course," Bucknam said.
The annual home meet honors former Trevecca cross country and track and field runner Michael Pretorius, who passed away July 31, 2022, following his second battle with cancer.
MEET ESSENTIALS | 2026 Michael Pretorius Invitational
Live Result / Live Stream on FloCollege
Host: Trevecca Nazarene University
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026
Location: Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage Cross Country Course | Nashville, Tennessee
Men's 8K: 8:00 AM
Women's 5K: 9:00 AM
Participant Field: Austin Peay, Fisk, Lipscomb, Tennessee State and Trevecca
Historical Note: First collegiate cross country meet and first 8K race held at The Hermitage
Coming Return: 2026 Gulf South Conference Championships | Friday, Nov. 6
REMEMBERING MICHAEL PRETORIUS
MORE ABOUT MICHAEL PRETORIUS
*Watch a video chronicling his first battle with cancer, which accompanied his getting the 2016 award. (WATCH).
TROJANS RETURN TO RACING
Trevecca opened the 2026 season Sept. 18 at the Southern Showcase at John Hunt Cross Country Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
The meet featured 64 schools from 16 states. The Trevecca men placed 16th among 28 teams, while the women finished 10th in a 26-team field.
Junior Joshua Novotny led the Trojan men, placing 23rd among 239 runners with an 8K time of 26:51.8.
Novotny owns three of the top 26 performances on Trevecca's all-time 8K list. His career-best time of 25:06.8, recorded at the 2025 Gulf South Conference Championships, ranks fourth in program history and makes him the second-fastest 8K runner in Trevecca history.
Junior Caleb Hinson followed Novotny in 43rd with a time of 27:37.8.
John Dalton finished in 28:47.5, followed by Jack Jaeger at 28:54.9, Caden Meeks at 29:09.9, Joel White at 29:19.7 and Garrett Wilson at 31:11.6.
Jaeger improved his Southern Showcase time by one minute, 49 seconds, moving from 30:43.9 in 2025 to 28:54.9 this season.
ALSVIG, ARNOLD LEAD TROJAN WOMEN
Senior Ashley Alsvig led the Trevecca women at the Southern Showcase, placing 32nd among 192 runners with a 5K time of 20:25.6.
Alsvig owns a career-best 5K time of 19:58.6, established at the 2025 Southern Showcase.
Junior Sarah Arnold crossed the line three places behind Alsvig, finishing 35th in 20:31.1. Arnold improved her Southern Showcase time by one minute, 49.5 seconds from her 22:20.6 performance in 2025.
Freshmen Kate Brent and Sarah Penney established their first collegiate 5K times in their Trevecca debuts. Brent placed 46th in 20:52.0, while Penney finished 67th in 21:28.8.
Madeline Patton completed Trevecca's scoring five, finishing in 23:54.8.
The Trojans produced those performances in hot, humid and sunny conditions. The temperature was approximately 81 degrees with 72 percent humidity near the start of the men's race and climbed toward 84 degrees before the women's race.
HISTORIC SETTING | ABOUT ANDREW JACKSON'S HERMITAGE
For more information about Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, visit www.TheHermitage.com.
Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage provides a unique setting for Saturday's meet.
The historic property was home to Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, from 1804 until his death in 1845.
Today, The Hermitage is a 1,120-acre National Historic Landmark featuring the Jackson mansion, gardens and tomb, historic buildings, archaeological sites, exhibits, walking trails and extensive natural areas.
Its open fields, wooded areas and historic landscapes now provide the setting for Trevecca's two home collegiate meets during the 2026 season.
Saturday's Michael Pretorius Invitational introduces the course to collegiate competition. The Gulf South Conference Championships return to the course Nov. 6.
NASHVILLE-AREA FIELD
The Michael Pretorius Invitational features men's and women's teams from Trevecca, Austin Peay State University, Fisk University, Lipscomb University and Tennessee State University.
Lipscomb enters the weekend after competing at the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Bison men placed 27th among 34 teams, while the women finished 24th of 28.
Owen Horevay led the Lipscomb men over the 8K course, placing 90th in 24:56.2. Ella Johnson led the women with a 6K time of 22:02.4.
Lipscomb is splitting its roster between Friday's Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago and Saturday's Michael Pretorius Invitational. The Bisons swept the men's and women's team championships at the 2025 Michael Pretorius Invitational.
Tennessee State's men arrive after winning the Legacy Series Invitational at John Hunt Park in Huntsville. The Tigers placed five runners among the top 10 and won the meet with 32 points.
Senior Eric Brannon led Tennessee State with a runner-up finish and a personal-best 5K time of 16:59.3. Freshman Maxwell Myers placed fifth, junior Delton White finished sixth, and freshmen Marcel Lake and Landon Gragg placed ninth and 10th.
The Tennessee State women finished fourth in the six-team Legacy Series field. Freshmen Jurnee Rutherford and Justice Scott led the Tigers with consecutive finishes, placing 20th and 21st. Five of Tennessee State's six women were freshmen, and all six recorded personal-best times.
Austin Peay opened its season at the Golden Eagle Invitational. Senior Shaye Foster highlighted the meet by establishing the Governors' women's 4K program record with a time of 14:41, breaking the previous record by 37 seconds.
Tahmar Upshaw led the Austin Peay men with a 15th-place finish in the 5K race. Freshman Damian Huizar followed in 25th in his first collegiate meet.
Both Austin Peay teams finished third at the 2025 Michael Pretorius Invitational.
Fisk returns to Trevecca's annual home meet with its men's and women's programs. The Bulldogs also competed in the 2025 Michael Pretorius Invitational.
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