YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. | The Young Harris College men's and women's cross country teams have officially unveiled their 2025 schedule, and the Mountain Lions are ready to build on the momentum of a transformative 2024 campaign that saw both programs take major strides forward in Conference Carolinas. 

Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Matt Logan enters the new season with a confident and focused group on both sides. 

"We have put together a competitive schedule that will allow our men's and women's teams to be prepared when they compete at the conference and regional meet," said Logan. 

The Mountain Lions open the season at home on Friday, September 5, hosting their 3rd Annual Young Harris XC Opener in the Enchanted Valley. From there, the teams hit the road for a series of high-level meets, including the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama (Sept. 12), the 19th Brevard XC Classic in North Carolina (Sept. 19), and the Spartan Classic in Kernersville (Oct. 3). 

The regular season wraps up with the Royals Challenge in Charlotte on October 10, before championship season begins. The Conference Carolinas Championship returns to Kernersville on October 24, followed by the NCAA Southeast Region Championships in Charlotte on Saturday, November 8. 

Men's Cross Country:

The men's team enters 2025 with momentum after a record-breaking 2024 season that saw them post the fastest 8k average in program history (26:44) at the Louisville Classic and finish 11th in the Southeast Region. 

"Our men's team is poised to improve on last year's result," said Logan. "We bring back a lot of focused guys who had great off-seasons and are motivated by team goals." 

Four of the top seven return for YHC, including Noah Mason, Austin Dezwart, Xander Potter, and Matthew Honeycutt; all of whom etched their names into the program's all-time top 10 list last fall. They'll be joined by standout sophomore Aidan Vrazel, who placed fourth in the 5k during the 2025 Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track & Field Championship. 

"We are an incredibly deep team and brought in a talented group," Logan added. "We will count on Mason and Honeycutt to show us the way, but I expect big things from Dezzy (Austin Dezwart), Potter, and Vrazel." 

Honeycutt, who ran a personal-best 15:53.6 at the Nooga at Night Invite, reflected on the team's growth. 

"Just four years ago, we were a small, struggling group. Now we have depth, track programs, and a real presence in the conference. That's thanks to the hard work Coach Logan has poured into our program." 

Sophomore Xander Potter echoed that sentiment. 

"People may not know our program yet, but we're serious about what we're building. You'll be hearing more about us soon." 

Women's Cross Country: 

The women's team returns its entire top seven from 2024 and is aiming to break into the top half of the conference standings in 2025. 

"This is the year we take the leap," said Logan. "We are still very young, but this group is focused on achieving our goals." 

Last season, the Mountain Lions placed ninth at the Conference Carolinas Championship, a major improvement from earlier in the year, and saw breakout performances from freshmen Julia Hargrove and Natalie Payne. 

"We were here five weeks ago and the transformation from then to now speaks to the character of our women," Logan said after the conference meet. "They were really good today. If they continue to run for each other and stay together, this group is going to be really good." 

Hargrove and Payne both set personal bests across multiple distances and return with a renewed sense of purpose. 

"We have more to prove being brand new to Conference Carolinas," said Hargrove. "And we have the numbers to do so." 

"We have a lot of people to prove wrong about us," added Payne. "And I think we're going to give it all we've got in 2025." 

Veterans Caroline Bass and Chesney Johnson have also had strong off-seasons and are expected to lead the way. 

"Caro and Ches have had great summers and are hungry to prove themselves," said Logan. "We also have a very talented group of freshmen, and we plan to have a late-season surprise from our middle-distance group." 

As Coach Logan and newly added assistant coach Jonathyn Knight prepare to lead both programs into a new season, the Enchanted Valley awaits another exciting chapter in Young Harris cross country history. The 2025 Mountain Lions are ready to make noise in Conference Carolinas and beyond.