Rhodes College Athletics

The Rhodes College men's cross country program has a strong tradition and rich heritage in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Under the guidance of Coach Robert Shankman, the Lynx have been among the best teams in the state of Tennessee, in the SCAC, and in the NCAA South/Southeast Region. Since 1990, the Lynx have claimed 10 SCAC Cross Country Championship titles, and have consistently finished among the top teams in NCAA regional competition, including 2nd place team finishes in 2000, 2001, 2005, and 2006.  The 2006 and 2007 squads qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships Meet, finishing 21st and 30th respectively out of 32 teams. 

Individually, the Lynx have produced multiple national qualifiers. In 2000 and 2002, Brian McCarthy advanced to Nationals by placing 3rd and 2nd overall, respectively, at the Regional Championship. In 2001, John Knight represented the Lynx at Nationals after his 2nd place finish at the Regional Meet.  In 2006, Alex Mahoney won the Southeast Region Championship Meet and was named NCAA Regional Athlete of the Year.  In 2008 the Lynx were represented by Mark Handleman who finished 14th at the Regional Meet.   The quality of the competition schedule is critical to the program's success. The team routinely competes against a challenging mix of quality Division I, II, and III teams. During the past few seasons, about 30 percent of the competition that the team faced were Division I teams.

In addition, Rhodes prides itself on the academic achievements of its student-athletes. Rhodes is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. This philosophy of balance allows the runners to be students first, yet provides a structured running program rich in tradition and success. This philosophy has been attractive to many student-athletes, and has provided an environment that fosters learning, improvement, and fun.