TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – University of South Alabama cross country runner Andonet Cheruiyot posted a new 6k personal best time of 21:21.3 and placed 32nd Friday morning at the NCAA South Regional held at the Apalachee Regional Park.

Silje Lindstad crossed the line with a time of 23:06.8 (118th) in the 6k event, while Warno Potgieter competed but didn't finish.

Florida State (60 pts) placed all five of its scoring runners inside the top 25 and edged out in-state rival Florida (64 pts) for the South Regional team title in the women's 6k event. FSU's Militsa Mircheva also captured the individual regional championship as she crossed the line with a time of 20:17.0 nearly 10 seconds faster than UF's Jessica Pascoe (20:23.6).

On the men's side, Ole Miss placed five in the top 15 to cruise to the team title with 45 points, while Florida State scored 92 points to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships next weekend in Madison, Wis.

Date: 11/9
Meet: NCAA South Regional
Host Institution: Florida State
Place: Apalachee Regional Pa

Women's 6k Results
Men's 10k Results

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS
WOMEN – 6K
1. Militsa Mircheva, Florida State (20:17.0); 2. Jessica Pascoe, Florida (20:23.3); 3. Jessica Drop, Georgia (20:29.4); 4. Joyce Kimeli, Auburn (20:33.1); 5. Clio Ozanne-Jaques, Ole Miss (20:34.1); 6. Eisabeth Bergh, Florida (20:40.5); 7. Purity Sanga, Tennessee Tech (20:43.0); 8. Elizabeth Funderburk, Florida State (20:43.4); 9. Morgan Hull, Florida (20:51.7); 10. Megan Murray, Tennessee (20:56.8)
32. Andonet Cheruiyot, SOUTH ALABAMA (21:21.3)

MEN – 10K
1. Alfred Chelanga, Alabama (30:59.2); 2. Zach Long, Tennessee (31:11.5); 3. Farah Abdulkarim, Ole Miss (31:18.6); 4. Jacob McLeod, Belmont (31:20.2); 5. Ben Varghese, East Tennessee State (31:20.2); 6. Waleed Suliman, Ole Miss (31:22.0); 7. Kaleb McLeod, Belmont (31:25.1; 8. Mark Robertson, Ole Miss (31:30.9); 9. Caleb Pottorff, Florida State (31:32.0); 10. Nathan Jubran, North Florida (31:35.5)
-- Warno Potgieter, SOUTH ALABAMA (DNF)

TEAM FINISHES
WOMEN – 6K
1. Florida State (60 pts); 2. Florida (64 pts); 3. Ole Miss (87 pts); 4. Georgia Tech (144 pts); Georgia (165 pts); 7. Vanderbilt (183 pts); 7. Tennessee (221 pts); 8. Alabama (231 pts); 9. Middle Tennessee (236 pts); 10. Lipscomb (240 pts); 11. Southern Mississippi (248 pts); 12. Auburn (349 pts); 13. Mississippi State (361 pts); 14. Belmont (419 pts); 15. Samford (461 pts); 16. Chattanooga (461 pts); 17. FIU (462 pts); 18. North Florida (490 pts); 19. Tennessee Tech (574 pts); 20. Georgia State (579 pts); 21. Tennessee-Martin (616 pts); 22. UAB (637 pts); 23. Troy (658 pts); 24. Kennesaw State (717 pts); 25. Miami (726 pts); 26. UCF (727 pts); 27. Florida Atlantic (748 pts); 28. Jacksonville State (775 pts); 29. Georgia Southern (797 pts); 30. South Florida (808 pts)
-- SOUTH ALABAMA – No Team Score

MEN – 10K
1. Ole Miss (45 pts); 2. Florida State (92 pts); 3. Tennessee (108 pts); 4. Belmont (139 pts); 5. Georgia Tech (161 pts); 6. Alabama (227 pts); 7. Tennessee Tech (242 pts); 8. North Florida (262 pts); 9. East Tennessee State (278 pts); 10. Samford (285 pts); 11. Florida (285 pts); 12. Georgia (297 pts); 13. Vanderbilt (342 pts); 14. Lipscomb (346 pts); 15. Memphis (353 pts), 16. Tennessee-Martin (354 pts); 17. Troy (380 pts); 18. Auburn (408 pts); 19. Mississippi State (488 pts); 20. Stetson (526 pts); 21. Chattanooga (586 pts); 22. South Florida (644 pts); 23. Florida Atlantic (652 pts); 24. Savannah State (665 pts)
-- SOUTH ALABAMA – No Team Score

SOUTH ALABAMA INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
WOMEN – 6K
32. Andonet Cheruiyot (21:21.3); 118. Silje Lindstad (23:06.8)

MEN – 10K
DNF – Warno Potgieter (--)

NOTES
- Sophomore runner Andonet Cheruiyot's time of 21:21.3 set a new personal best in the 6k on Friday.
- Cheruiyot, who finished 72nd at the 2017 NCAA South Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala., improved her position by 40 spots at this year's meet.
- The Eldoret, Kenya, native finished 32nd or better, including a pair of individual titles, in all six of her cross country races this season.
- Cheruiyot's 32nd-place finish is the highest by a woman runner at South since Laura Labuschaigne placed 29th at the 2016 regional, also in Tallahassee, Fla.
- Cheruiyot's finish is also tied with former Jag Colleen Kenney for 10th-best regional performance by a female runner at South Alabama. Kenney finished 32nd at the 1991 regional meet held in Greenville, S.C.
- Cheruiyot was the first Jaguar woman to cross the line in all six races this fall.
- Warno Potgieter did compete in the men's 10k, but did not finish after withdrawing from the race midway through.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Parker Cowles
- On Andonet Cheruiyot's performance: "Andonet ran great today. She was out aggressively for the first 3,000 meters. At the midway point, you could tell that she was in a little bit of distress but she bared down and continued to work up the field. I thought she ran extremely well and I was proud of how she executed from the start and held strong all the way through. She's a young runner and I'm excited about her future."
- On Silje Lindstad's performance: "I thought Silje ran okay. She really got lost in this large and experienced field and had trouble engaging at the midway [point]. She came back with a fast lap the second time through the course. She's learning and gaining experience. She did a lot of good things for us this season."

UP NEXT
- This concludes meet concludes the 2018 cross country season for South Alabama.

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

—USA—