MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's and women's cross country teams will open the postseason Saturday morning as the Jags host the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championships held at the Brookley Field Golf Course. The league championship event is set to begin with the women's 5k at 10 a.m. (CT), with the men's 8k scheduled to start at 11 a.m. (CT).

MEET INFORMATION
Date: 10/27
Meet (Host Institution): Sun Belt Conference Championships (South Alabama)
Place: Brookley Field Golf Course (Mobile, Ala.)

Admission: Admission to the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship is FREE.

MEET TIMES (all times CT)
8 a.m. – Course Opens
10:02 a.m. – Women's Race (5,000m)
11:00 a.m. – Men's Race (8,000m)
11:45 a.m. – Awards Ceremony

MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stats: Click Here
Video: Click Here (ESPN+)

THE FIELD
WOMEN – 5K – 12 TEAMS
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Little Rock, Louisiana, SOUTH ALABAMA, Texas State, Troy, ULM, UTA

MEN – 8K – 10 TEAMS
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Little Rock, Louisiana, SOUTH ALABAMA, Texas State, Troy, ULM, UTA

AT THE LINE FOR THE JAGUARS
WOMEN – 5K
– Andonet Cheruiyot (So., Eldoret Kenya)
– Kailee Kiminski (Sr., Esko, Minn.)
– Shaleiya [Shay] Lee (Fr., Bradenton, Fla.)
– Silje Lindstad (Fr., Bergen, Hordaland, Norway)
– Anna McGowan (Fr., Hoover, Ala.)
– Carolien Millenaar (So., Sørvad, Denmark)
– Gillianne Sharp (Jr., Huntsville, Ala.)

MEN – 8K
– Larry Lombard (Jr., Johannesburg, South Africa)
– Thomas Sand Nielsen (Fr., Holstebro, Denmark)
– Dylan Pausic (Jr., Birmingham, Ala.)
– Warno Potgeiter (So., Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa)
– Nate Pudner (So. Auburn, Ala.)
– Ben Rolader (Sr., Auburn, Ala.)
– Migael Strydom (So., Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa)

NOTES
- Saturday marks the fourth time that South Alabama has hosted the Sun Belt Cross Country Championship meet with the last coming during the 2014 season.
- The South men will be in search of their ninth conference team title, while the women will be seeking their fifth.
- The Jaguar men last accomplished that feat back during the 2014 season, while the South women won the title in 2015.
- Last season, Laura Labuschaigne became the third Jaguar women's cross country runner to win an individual title with a time of 17:35.1, joining former Sun Belt champions Laura Martin (1997) and DeAnne Dahmar (1987).
- Sophomores Carolien Millenaar, Migael Strydom and Warno Potgieter each earned third-team all-league honors at the 2017 championship meet in Boone, N.C.
- There have been eight different male Jaguar runners to win the Sun Belt individual title with the last being Christoph Graph in 2014.
- Zac Edwards (2009), Micah Tirop (2008 and '07), Vincent Rono (2006 and '05), Tonny Okello (2004), David Kamani (1999) and Bobby Abruscato (1981) also picked up Sun Belt titles.
- The South women have recorded a pair of victories and a pair of 10th-place finishes this fall, while the Jag men are coming off a 10th-place showing at the UAB Classic on Oct. 12.
- Sophomore Andonet Cheruiyot has led the South Alabama women each race this season. Cheruiyot holds a pair of wins and has finished 18th or better in all four of her races.
- Potgieter has led South in each of the last two races, while true freshman Thomas Sand Nielsen paced the club in each of the two races with a first- and second-place finish.
- Both Potgieter (8) and Strydom (7) have finished inside the Top 100 in all of their career races.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Parker Cowles
- On his thoughts and expectations for the women's race: "At the top end of the conference, I feel the women's field has improved since last year.  Even still, I believe Carolien [Millenaar] and Andonet [Cheruiyot] are ready to race and compete against the best in the conference.  Charles [Arkansas State], Watson [Little Rock], Romero [Texas State] and last year's runner up Van Onselen [Coastal Carolina] are all looking very strong.  It is going to be a very good race up front.  As a coach, my stomach turns just thinking about the front end of this race and how competitive I think it will be.
"I also believe our depth has improved and we are coming together and feeling stronger at the right time.  App State, Texas State and Ark State are all very good programs this year, but our intent is to run aggressively over the last half of the race.  If these ladies trust their fitness, I think they will compete well against this field."
- On the men's field: "We haven't had an opportunity to race a lot of our conference opponents on the men's side this fall.  App State and UT Arlington are both performing really well right now and both of those programs always field very fit and strong teams, but we have not seen either program up close.  As the men prepare for this 8k, I don't want them over thinking things or worrying about the competition.  Our strongest team performance of the year came on this course at the Azalea City Classic.  It was hot and muggy that day, but we were patient and approached the race with control and composure and ran really well over the final two miles.  I hope to approach Saturday the same way.  If we run our own race I feel the results will follow with this team."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub.

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