BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The 2021 Mid-South Conference Men's Cross Country Champions of Character team has been released, conference officials announced on Wednesday.

The MSC recognizes a Champions of Character Team for each championship sport. The student-athletes that are honored on the Champions of Character Team were nominated by their coaches based on their leadership on campus and in the community while demonstrating the five core character values of the NAIA.

Bethel’s (Tenn.) Jonathan Herrera, Campbellsville’s (Ky.) Collin Sheffield, Cumberland’s (Tenn.) Joel Barlow, Cumberlands’ (Ky.) Kyle Woodward, Freed-Hardeman’s (Tenn.) Matthew Ray, Georgetown’s (Ky.) Jaxon Downs, Life’s (Ga.) Zac Wright-Fisher, Lindsey Wilson’s (Ky.) Noah Brown, Pikeville’s (Ky.) Jaxon Blaine, Shawnee State’s (Ohio) TJ Hoggard, Tennessee Southern’s Azariah Kaplelach, and Thomas More’s (Ky.) David Gilbert were all honored with the recognition.

Senior Joel Barlow is a native from Lebanon, Tennessee running in his fifth year for the Phoenix. During his time with the Phoenix, Barlow holds the fifth all-time fastest 8k in school history at 25:47:00 and has three times in the top-10 in program history. So far this season, Barlow has a season-best time of 26:33.74 with one race left to go. Barlow is a three-time All-Mid-South Conference award winner and was named the Mid-South Runner of the Week on September 3, 2018.

Forcht Bank is the proud sponsor of the Mid-South Conference Champions of Character Program.