MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama cross country teams will open the 2020 campaign on Friday when the Jaguars host the Azalea City Classic held at the Old Brookley Golf Course. The women's 5k is scheduled to begin at 5:50 p.m. and will be followed by the men's 5k at 6:20 p.m.

MEET INFORMATION
Date: 9/11
Meet (Host Institution): Azalea City Classic (South Alabama)
Place: Old Brookley Golf Course (Mobile, Ala.)
Race Information: Women's 5k – 5:50 p.m. | Men's 5k – 6:20 p.m.

THE FIELD
WOMEN'S – 5K – 8 TEAMS
Louisiana, Mobile, Marion Military Institute, Pensacola State, SOUTH ALABAMA, Troy, UAB, Wallace State CC

MEN'S – 5K – 6 TEAMS
Louisiana, Mobile, Marion Military Institute, SOUTH ALABAMA, Troy, Wallace State CC

AT THE LINE FOR THE JAGUARS
WOMEN'S – 5K
– Meredith Bass (R-Fr., Pelham, Ala.)
– Andonet Cheruiyot (Sr., Eldoret Kenya)
– Gracie Ferguson (R-Fr., D'Iberville, Miss.)
– Shaleiya [Shay] Lee (Jr, Bradenton, Fla.)
– Silje Lindstad (Jr., Bergen, Hordaland, Norway)
– Carolien Millenaar (Sr., Sørvad, Denmark)
– Susanna Pudner (Sr., Auburn, Ala.)
– Lindsay Scifers (R-So., Euharlee, Ga.)
– Abbey Weitenbeck (So., Huntsville, Ala.)

MEN'S – 5K
– Colton Collier (Fr., Thornton, Ind.)
– Lance Cunigan (So., Kellytown, Ala.)
– Gram Denning (R-Fr., Mountain Brook, Ala.)
– Adam Keller (R-Fr., Pelham, Ala.)
– Onesmus, Kemboi (Sr., Eldoret Kenya)
– Jared Peaslee (Fr., Wheaton, Ill.)
– Warno Potgeiter (Sr., Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa)
– Nate Pudner (Sr. Auburn, Ala.)
– Thomas Sand (Jr., Holstebro, Denmark)
– Charlie Slaughter (R-Fr, Birmingham, Ala.)
– Caleb Smith (So., Semmes, Ala.)
– Kirami Yego (Fr., Kapenguria, Kenya)

NOTES
- Andonet Cheruiyot, Carolien Millenaar on the women's side and Onesmus Kemboi and Warno Potgieter on the men's side were each selected as the Sun Belt Conference's Top 7 Runners to Watch on Wednesday and return for their senior seasons.
- Cheruiyot earned first-team all-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive year after placing third at last season's conference championship meet. The Eldorat, Kenya, native finished either second or third in five of her six meets.
- Millenaar also earned all-Sun Belt honors for the second time in her career as she placed seventh at the league championship event last fall. The senior runner placed 11th or better in four of her other five races, and won each of the first two meets of the season.
- In addition to Cheruiyot and Millenaar, South's women return four of its five scorers from last fall's team which finished as runner up at the league championship meet, including all-conference performer Silje Linstad (third team).
- Kemboi received second-team all-Sun Belt honors after finishing seventh at the league championship meet and finished inside the top 10 in all but one of his races during the fall, which included a pair of wins.
- Potgieter earned second-team all-Sun Belt accolades for the second-straight season last fall as he placed ninth at the league championship even, and recorded five top 15 finishes, including four in the top 10 during the season.
- Thomas Sand, a third-team all-league honoree, finished 11th at the league championship meet, and placed inside the top 20 in five of his six races throughout the fall.
- South Alabama will hosts the Sun Belt Conference Championships on this same course later this fall marking the fifth time in program history that the Jaguars have hosted the league event.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Parker Cowles
- On Friday's meet: "For the early season meet, I really want to work on the execution of a race plan.  For the first two thirds of the race the athletes should be running at an assigned pace and working together.  As they approach the home stretch they have some freedom to push the pace, but this first meet is always a good opportunity for them to work together.  The upperclassmen are working on patience and high level execution.  Usually, for the underclassmen the pace is aggressive and they are learning how to run even and push themselves to a new level."
- On his thoughts on both the women's and men's teams heading into the fall: "I am really excited about the season for both these teams.  We return nearly everyone from the conference runner up women's squad last year and the men's team has really progressed in terms of depth.  I feel like the athletes have done a good job remaining disciplined over the very long break and have reached new levels of fitness.  I am excited to see where we are at."

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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