Six Athletes to Join Cross Country and Track & Field Programs

CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston cross country head coach Chris Bailey and track and field head coach Michael Tornifolio have announced that six freshmen will join the program next fall.

The group includes four additions to the women's team and one to the men's squad. Two of the women's newcomers are from South Carolina – Lydia Metz (Lexington) and Cara Grace Phillips (Greenville).

Rounding out the women's recruits are Kiley DeFusco (Cumberland, R.I.), Trinity Jones (Chesterfield, Va.) and Lucy Alexander from Sydney, Australia. William Buckey joins the men's program from Washington, D.C.

Lucy Alexander | Sydney, Australia | Presbyterian Ladies College

Australian championships qualifier in both track and field and the triathlon
Has PRs of 2:13.61 in the 800, 2:58.41 in the 1000 and 4:39.04 in the 1500

Bailey on Alexander: "Lucy will join us in January. She has a diverse skillset so our only challenge will be determining which track events she will specialize in."

William Buckley | Washington, D.C. | Gonzaga College HS

Two-time all-conference runner and earned spot on all-state team during 2023-24 season
Recipient of the Colin Leibold Award for Outstanding Performance for cross country in 2023
Received Eagle Eye Integrity Award and Jackson "Man for Others" Award for indoor track and field
Gained Track and Field Unsung Hero Award in 2023
Finished as runner-up at 2023 conference cross country meet
Has current PRs of 15:50 in the 5k, 4:35 in the 1600, 9:47 in the 3200 and 15:40 in the 5000
Helped team win two DC championships in cross country

Bailey on Buckley: "William is a loyal College of Charleston athletics fan, and we look forward to the enthusiasm he will bring to representing the Cougars. He excels at longer distances and will adapt well to moving up to the 8k and 10k for cross country."

Kiley DeFusco | Cumberland, R.I. | Cumberland HS

Earned first team all-state honors five times and was a three-time school MVP
Three-time nominee for Gatorade Player of the Year
Holds school marks in the 5k (18:35), mile (4:57) and 3000 (10:06)
Time in the 3000 was at the Rhode Island state championship meet when she took first place
Finished fourth at the state championships in cross country in 2023
Helped team win a pair of Rhode Island state titles

Bailey on DeFusco: "Kiley is an accomplished sub-5 miler who is poised to be competitive in the middle-distance events on our team and within the CAA. Kiley will make positive contributions to our team culture."

Trinity Jones | Chesterfield, Va. | Monacan HS

Earned all-state honors twice in the 400 and 4x400 relay and once in the 100
Member of state championship team in the 4x400 relay in 2024
Won region title in the 400 in 2023
Has PRs of 57.33 in the 400 and a 56.7 split in the 4x400 relay
Selected first team all-region and all-state in basketball for 2023-24 season and second team all-region in 2022-23

Tornifolio on Jones: "We are excited to welcome Trinity to the Cougar Family. She will bring us depth in the 400 with a personal best of 57 seconds. She is a multi-sport athlete who is very athletic and brings high energy and some grit to the sprints group."

Lydia Metz | Lexington, S.C. | Lexington HS

Earned fourth berths on the Class 5A all-state team for both cross country and track and field
Three-time recipient of the Coaches Choice team captain award
Selected school's distance MVP in 2024
Member of school record team in the 4x800 relay which was state runner-up in 2024
Has posted PRs of 18:34.09 in the 5k, 2:22.09 in the 800, 5:12.53 in the 1600, 5:14.99 in the mile and 11:06.08 in the 3200
Helped team win state cross country championship in 2022 and finish second on three other occasions

Bailey on Metz: "Lydia has a long record of success in cross country and track with half a dozen all-state recognitions in South Carolina's most competitive class (5A). We are pleased to bring in another student-athlete from Lexington High School's successful distance program."

Cara Grace Phillips | Greenville, S.C. | Greenville HS

Holds school record in the 800 (2:23) and part of record holding team in the 4x800 relay
Also has PRs of 5:12 in the 1600 and 18:22 in the 5k
Member of 2022 Class 4A state championship cross country team and runner-up the following year
Helped squad post the highest team GPA in Greenville County

Bailey on Phillips: "Cara Grace was racking up state championship titles at a smaller private school in the Upstate but transferred to Greenville High School to seek out a higher level of competition. That move propelled her to a higher level as an athlete. That kind of competitiveness will serve Cara Grace well in collegiate athletics."

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Six Athletes to Join Cross Country and Track & Field Programs

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Upcoming Event: Men's Cross Country at USATF Cross Country Championships on Dec. 6, 2025

Six Athletes to Join Cross Country and Track & Field Programs

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