Elbadra Secures USTFCCCA All-American Status
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Nov. 24, 2025) – South Carolina Cross Country standout Salma Elbadra has officially secured All-American status, as announced by the USTFCCCA on Monday afternoon.
To qualify for the All-American squad, athletes must finish inside the Top 40 on the individual leaderboard at the NCAA Cross Country Championship. Elbadra is just the second All-American in program history, joining Judy Kosgei who accomplished the feat in 2023.
Elbadra earned the recognition after placing 28th at the NCAA Championship on Saturday morning in Columbia, Mo. The Morocco native crossed the finish line in 19:14.7 and aided the Gamecocks in the 15th-place finish in the program’s first ever appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championship.
Elbadra had a year to remember, earning both All-American and All-Region honors. The freshman distance runner set a new 6K program record this season at the Southeast Regional, running 19:03.1 to become the first individual winner at the regional meet in Gamecock history. In addition, she also holds the second fastest 5K time in Gamecock history with a mark of 15:57.5. Elbadra captured a pair of wins this year on the cross country course and earned First Team All-SEC honors and SEC All-Freshman Team after finishing fifth at the conference meet.
