Bethel’s Cook Headed to Nationals

MCKENZIE, Tenn. - Bethel University senior Cedrion Cook will compete in his first NAIA National Championship on November 21 in Tallahassee, Florida. His qualification marks the culmination of an exceptional collegiate career defined by steady improvement, school records, and major conference honors.

Cook has shown remarkable progression since his first 8K race for Bethel cross country in 2022. He debuted at the Rhodes College Invitational with a time of 28:35. Over the next three years, he cut more than three and a half minutes from that mark, ultimately running a personal best of 25:04 at the NAIA Appalachian Challenge in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2025. That performance earned him All-Region honors and made him the second-fastest 8K runner in Bethel Cross Country history.

His conference performance reflects the same steady rise. In the Mid-South Conference, Cook placed 68th as a freshman. By his senior season, he had climbed all the way to 10th place, securing a spot on the Second-Team All-Conference roster.

Cook currently holds two Bethel University school records:
• 6K (Cross Country): 19:21 at the Panther Prowl in Owensboro, KY (2025)
• 10K (Track & Field): 32:46 at the Margaret Simmons Invitational in Murray, KY (Spring 2025)

In addition to these records, he ranks among the top ten all-time in Bethel history in both the mile (4:33) and the 5K (15:50). He also celebrated his first collegiate cross-country win in 2025 at the Warhawk Invitational in Danville, Alabama.

The national championship in Tallahassee will conclude what has been a standout cross country career and sets the stage for a promising 2026 spring track season.

Coach Wes Bradshaw commented, "I have had the pleasure of knowing Cedrion Cook since we brought him to Bethel University in the fall of 2022. Watching him grow and unlock his potential in cross country and track has been amazing. Seeing athletes achieve goals they once thought were impossible is one of the greatest rewards of coaching. Cook is one of the hardest-working athletes to come through Bethel, and I couldn't be more  prouder of him. We are excited to see what he will do at the national championships in Tallahassee."