BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Northeast Mississippi Community College is reporting to the starting line to begin another chapter in its storied sports legacy.
Men's and women's cross country programs are the newest additions to Northeast's athletic department. The Lady Tigers and Tigers will be off to the races during the upcoming fall 2024 semester.
"We are excited about the potential for growth and success that the addition of cross country will bring to our college," said Northeast president Dr. Ricky Ford. "This addition reflects our commitment to providing diverse and enriching opportunities for our students to excel in both academics and athletics.
"Cross country is a sport that promotes teamwork, discipline and resilience, which are all values that we strive to instill in our students here at Northeast. We look forward to seeing these athletes compete at their best and represent Northeast with integrity and sportsmanship."
Both teams will be classified as a Division II affiliate of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The path to nationals for the Lady Tigers and Tigers will go through the NJCAA's Region 23 and Gulf District.
Northeast is one of only three members of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) to currently sponsor cross country. The other two are East Central Community College and Meridian Community College.
This increases the total number of varsity athletic programs at Northeast to 12. It is the fourth and fifth additions in the last four school years along with men's and women's tennis plus women's volleyball.
Northeast also proudly boasts successful baseball, men's and women's basketball, cheerleading, football, men's golf and softball programs with top-notch facilities for each sport.
"We are very excited to be adding cross country to our list of athletic programs at Northeast," said athletic director Kent Farris. "The popularity and success of our local in-district programs made this an easy decision."
Every high school in Northeast's traditional service area, which includes Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo and Union counties, offered cross country during the 2023-24 academic year.
In addition, in-district schools Corinth, East Union, Kossuth, Myrtle and West Union have captured at least one Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) state championship over the last two seasons.
The regular season for cross country in the NJCAA starts in mid-August. It concludes with region, district and national postseason races that run from late October into early November.