MOBILE, Ala. – After taking a week off, the University of South Alabama men's and women's cross country teams will return to action this weekend when they compete at the prestigious 30th Annual Chile Pepper Festival hosted by the city of Fayetteville.

The Jaguar men will compete in the 8k set to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Agri Park, while the women will follow with the 5k race scheduled to start at 10:20 a.m.

MEET INFORMATION
Date: 9/22
Meet (Host Institution): 30th Annual Chile Pepper Festival (City of Fayetteville / Univ. of Arkansas)
Place: Agri Park (Fayetteville, Ark.)

THE FIELD
WOMEN – 5K – 55 TEAMS
Alabama-Huntsville, Allen County CC, Arkansas, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Carl Albert State College, Central Arkansas, Central Oklahoma, Christian Brothers, College of the Ozarks, Cowley College, Dallas Baptist, Drury Univ., East Central Univ., East Texas Baptist, Eastern New Mexico, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Hardin-Simmons, Hendrix College, Iowa Central CC, LeTourneau Univ., Lindenwood, Little Rock, Louisiana College, McMurry Univ., Midland Univ., Missouri Southern State, Missouri State, Newman Univ., North Iowa Area CC, North Alabama, North Texas, Northwest Missouri State, Northwestern Oklahoma State Univ., Oklahoma City Univ., Oral Roberts, Ozarks (Ark.), SOUTH ALABAMA, Southeastern Oklahoma, Southern Arkansas, Southern Nazarene Univ., Southwestern CC, Stephen F. Austin, Tabor College, Texas A&M - Commerce, Texas State, Trinity (Texas) Univ., UA Rich Mountain Bucks, Univ. of Texas at Dallas, Univ. of Texas - Tyler, Wayland Baptist, Wichita State, Wilmington Univ.

MEN – 8K – 53 TEAMS
Alabama-Huntsville, Allen County CC, Arkansas, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Arkansas Tech, Avila University (Mo.), Carl Albert State College, Central Arkansas, Christian Brothers, Cloud County, College of the Ozarks, Dallas Baptist, Drury Univ., East Central Univ., East Texas Baptist, Eastern New Mexico, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Hardin-Simmons, Hendrix College, Iowa Central CC, LeTourneau Univ., Lindenwood, Little Rock, Louisiana College, McMurry Univ., Midland Univ., Missouri Southern State, Missouri State, Newman Univ., North Iowa Area CC, North Alabama, North Texas, Northwest Missouri State, Northwestern Oklahoma State Univ., Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma City Univ., Oral Roberts, Ozarks (Ark.), SOUTH ALABAMA, Southern Arkansas, Southern Nazarene Univ., Southwestern CC, Southeastern Oklahoma, Stephen F. Austin, Tabor College, Texas A&M - Commerce, Texas State, Trinity (Texas) Univ., UA Rich Mountain Bucks, Univ. of Texas-Dallas, Univ. of Texas-Tyler, Wichita State, Wilmington Univ.

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)
– Lindsay Scifers (Fr., Euharlee, Ga.)
– Gillianne Sharp (Jr., Huntsville, Ala.)

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

NOTES
- This will be the first meet for South Alabama outside of Mobile this fall.  The first two meets – the Challenge of Champions and the Azalea City Classic – were both held in the Jags' home city.
- The Jaguars last competed at the Chile Pepper Invitational during the 2014 season.  
- The South Alabama finished seventh out of 20 teams, while two Jaguar women competed individually.
- On the women's side, Jag newcomer Andonet Cheruiyot has crossed the line first in each of her first two races this fall.
- Also on the women's side, preseason all-Sun Belt runner Carolien Millenaar placed second just 13 seconds behind Cheruiyot at the Azalea City, her first action of the fall.
- Thomas Sand Nielsen leads the way for the South Alabama men as he has finished either first or second in the first two races of the fall.
- The Jaguar women have won both their meets thus far in 2018, while the men won the Azalea City and placed second during the opening weekend of the season.
- This will mark the first morning race for South Alabama.
- It will also be the second 8K of the fall for the Jaguar men.
- There will be over 100 teams combined competing in the two collegiate races this weekend.
- Among the field are nine other Division I teams, including the host Razorbacks and fellow Sun Belt Conference members Little Rock and Texas State.
- Both the Arkansas men and women are currently ranked first in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Central Region rankings.  The Razorback women are ninth nationally, while the men are ranked 14th nationally by the USTFCCCA in this week's rankings.
-The South Alabama women continue to be ranked 15th in the South Region of the USTFCCCA.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Parker Cowles
- On the challenges of this weekend's meet: "Chile Pepper is typically a very large invite, with upwards of 400 entries per race.  It is hard to navigate a large field like that and run a balanced race.  On one hand you want to be controlled through the first third of the race.  On the other it is very easy to get forced to the back and be in a bad position early in the race.  The course is a fast one and while I am hoping to see some very good times, really I want to see this group compete well in a very solid field."

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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