MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's cross country teams placed five runners inside the top 11 spots to pick up the program's ninth Sun Belt title Saturday morning at the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championships held at the Old Brookley Gulf Pines Golf Course.

Senior runner Carolien Millenaar also became the fourth female to win individual honors as she crossed the line with a personal-best time of 17:12.6, five seconds faster than the next closest runner.

As a team, the Jaguar women finished third with 71 points. Along with Millenaar, Silje Linstad and Susanna Pudner also turned in third-team all-league performances, placing 13th and 15th respectively.

The Jaguar men won the team title behind five all-conference performances. Kirami Yego (first-team) paced the men's team finishing third overall (24:39.1) earning his first Sun Belt all-conference honors. Yego was joined by four other teammates who also earned all-conference honors: Onesmus Kemboi (second team), Thomas Sand (second team), Warno Potgieter (second team) and Nate Pudner (third team).

Date: 10/31
Meet: Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship
Host: South Alabama
Place: Old Brookley Gulf Pines Golf Course (Mobile, Ala.)

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS
WOMEN'S – 5K
1. Carolien Millenaar, SOUTH ALABAMA (17:12.6); 2. Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State (17:17.4); 3. Izzy Evely, Appalachian State (17:36.6); 4. Sophie Leathers, Arkansas State (17:37.0); 5. Lisha Van Onselen, Appalachian State (17:37.7); 6. Macki Walsh, Troy (1738.8); 7. Elizabeth Gillette, Arkansas State (17:40.2); 8. Sarah Sandreuter, Appalachian State (17:48.4); 9. Sydney Cole, Texas State (18:02.7); 10. Grace Booher, Troy (18:03.9)

MEN'S – 8K
1. Bennett Pascoe, Arkansas State (24:27.2); 2. Isaac Benz, Appalachian State (24:33.7); 3. Kirami Yego, SOUTH ALABAMA (24:39.1); 4. Lexington Hilton, Arkansas State (24:45.8); 5. Cole Klashinsky, UTA (24:47.9); 6. Onesmus Kemboi, SOUTH ALABAMA (24:50.3); 7. Gable Dershem, Appalachian State (25:01.2); 8. Ryan Brown, Appalachian State (25:09.2); 9. Thomas Sand, SOUTH ALABAMA (25:13.7); 10. Warno Potgieter, SOUTH ALABAMA (25:17.1)

TEAM FINISHES
WOMEN'S – 5K
1. Arkansas State (44); 2. Appalachian State (47); 3. SOUTH ALABAMA (71); 4. Troy (77); 5. UTA (158); 6. Texas State (182); 7. Coastal Carolina (197); 8. Arkansas Little Rock (204); 9. ULM (239); 10. Georgia Southern (255); 11. Louisiana (271)

MEN'S – 8K
1. SOUTH ALABAMA (39); 2. Appalachian State (55); 3. Arkansas State (56); 4. UTA (78); 5. Texas State (133); 6. Arkansas Little Rock (152); 7. Louisiana (181); 8. Troy (212); 9. ULM (247); 10. Coastal Carolina (NTS)

SOUTH ALABAMA INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
WOMEN'S – 5K
1. Carolien Millenaar (17:12.6); 13. Silje Lindstad (18:10.6); 15. Susanna Pudner (18:18.2); 16. Adele Magaud (18:22.3); 26. Andonet Cheruiyot (18:51.1); 61. Abbey Weitenbeck (20:58.5); 65. Meredith Bass (21:25.7)

MEN'S – 8K
3. Kirami Yego (24:39.1); 6. Onesmus Kemboi (24:50.3); 9. Thomas Sand (25:13.7); 10. Warno Potgieter (25:17.1); 11. Nate Pudner (25:22.3); 16. Charlie Slaughter (25:48.0); 23. Jared Peaslee (26:20.4)

NOTES
- Saturday marked the fifth time that South Alabama has hosted the Sun Belt Cross Country Championship meet.
- Millenaar earned Sun Belt all-conference honors for the third time in her career with her victory at this years cross country Championships.
- This was her highest finish at the Sun Belt Championships running a career best 5K time (17:12.6) in route to her first-team honors.  
- With the individual title, Millenaar joins former Jags Laura Labuschaigne (2017), Laura Martin (1997) and DeAnne Dahmar (1987) as SBC champions on the women's side.
- Lindstad's 13th place finish was good enough to earn her third team all-conference honors for the second consecutive season; her highest finish at the Sun Belt Championships in her career.    
- S. Pudner earned all-conference honors (third-team) for the first time in her career after setting a new personal best 5K time of 18:18.2.
- The team title for the Jaguar men was their first since 2014 and the ninth in program history.
- Kemboi finished with second team all-conference honors for the second straight season. He has now placed inside the top 15 17 times and in the ninth time in his last 10 races.
 - Potgieter earned second team all-conference honors with his 10th place finish; the fourth straight season earning Sun Belt all-conference honors.
- Sand posted his second consecutive all-conference finish at the Sun Belt championships besting his third-team honors this year placing 9th for second-team honors.
- N. Pudner earned Sun Belt all-conference honors (third-team) for the first time in his career.
- Four Jaguars participated in their first Sun Belt Conference Championships: Meredith Bass, Abbey Wietenbeck, Jared Peaslee and Yego.
- Eight South Alabama athletes earned all-conference honors: Millenaar (first-team), Yego (First-team), Kemboi (second-team), Sand (second-team), Potgieter (second-team), N. Pudner (third-team), Lindstad (third-team) and S. Pudner (third-team).
 
THEY SAID IT
Head coach Parker Cowles
- On winning the championship on the men's side:
"In the eleven years of being the coach that was the best-executed team race I have ever seen. I felt great when the men were at the 1k and 2k. Throughout the race, you could tell they wanted the win. They worked hard and executed beautifully as a team. I am proud of them. App State is a good team, but I thought they ran off."
- On the women's performance and the performance of Carolien Millenaar:
"I am pleased with the women because we have come a long way. Troy got us at our home meet early in the year, but we have continued to get better throughout the season. Caroline [Milenaar] has been consistent and solid this season. She ran a well-executed race today and proved what she is about. She led from start to finish, and she nailed it."

Senior Carolien Millenaar
- On what it means to win the individual title:
"As a senior, this win means a lot to me. I do not think it could have been a better ending at South Alabama. The build up from freshman year up to this moment has made me stronger and gain confidence. As a team, we have been working hard despite some circumstances. It is all about how you get out of those circumstances. It was great to see the girls perform how they did today and how the men brought it all together."
- On her plan coming into the race:
"In the beginning, I was not sure if I should start conservatively. I believe I finished my 1K too fast (16:40), but I am happy with it. I raised well, and I do not think I should have changed anything. You have to take chances and go for it."

Senior Warno Potgieter
- On winning the title:
"It was always our goal for this year, and now the feeling is surreal. Overall, we expected challenges, but we had an excellent squad performance. We had solid performances from everyone today. I think this is the strongest team South had had in seven years, so today was an honor."

UP NEXT
- With Saturday's results, the 2020 cross country is concluded.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. 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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