MOBILE, Ala. - After finishing sixth at the NCAA South Region Championships this past Saturday, the South Alabama men's cross country team ended the year as the No. 6-ranked squad in the Region according to the final United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association Poll.  The USTFCCCA also named the members of the All-Region teams from across the nation and the Jaguars tied South Region champion Florida State for the most individuals honors with four.

South Alabama was ranked ninth in the preseason poll in mid-September and had a lowest ranking of No. 12 (Sept. 25).  The Jags also achieved the No. 6 ranking in consecutive October polls (Oct. 2 and 10), the highest-ever achieved by the men's team.

South Region runner-up Tonny Okello earned his third consecutive All-Region selection.  The senior was last year's champion and the third overall finisher in 2004.  This season, The Lira, Uganda native earned his record third consecutive trip to NCAA Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 20.  He is all ready a two-time cross country All American (2004, 2005) and a third such performance would also be a South Alabama record.

Joining Okello on the All-South Region team and at the NCAAs for the second successive year is two-time Sun Belt Conference champion Vincent Rono.  The 2005 South Regional fifth-place finisher grabbed fourth this season, earning his second All-Region selection. 

Newcomer Micah Tirop placed 16th at last Saturday's Regional finale which notched him an All-Region berth.  The Moi University (Kenya) transfer was fifth at the SBC Championships in October.  Despite running most of the season with an injury, Tirop did not gain one of the at-large selections for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Senior Harry Larubi was named to his second All-Region team by virtue of his 25th overall finish.  Larubi was All-South Region in 2004, when he finished 23rd.  The Gulu, Uganda native was 30th overall last season.