MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men's and women's cross country programs will open the 2021 schedule Friday afternoon when the Jaguars hos the Azalea City Classic at Brookley by the Bay. The women's 5k is set to begin at 5:50 p.m., while the men's 5k is scheduled to start at 6:20 p.m.

MEET INFORMATION
Date: 9/10
Meet (Host Institution): Azalea City Classic
Place: Brookley by the Bay (Mobile, Ala.)
Race Information: Women's 5k – 5:50 p.m. | Men's 5k – 6:20 p.m.

THE FIELD 
WOMEN'S – 5K – 3 TEAMS
Chipola College, Pensacola State College, SOUTH ALABAMA

MEN'S – 5K – 5 TEAMS
Alabama State, Belhaven, Mobile, SOUTH ALABAMA, Troy

AT THE LINE FOR THE JAGUARS
WOMEN'S – 5K
– Meredith Bass (R-Fr., Pelham, Ala.)
– Clervie Chagot (Fr., Bretagne, France)
– Shaleiya [Shay] Lee (Jr., Bradenton, Fla.)
– Macy Livingston (Fr., The Woodlands, Texas)
– Adele Maguad (So., Martigues, France)
– Abbey Weitenbeck (So., Huntsville, Ala.)

MEN'S – 5K
– Lance Cunigan (So., Kellytown, Ala.)
– Teagan Fanagan (Jr. , Wichita, Kan.)
– Onesmus, Kemboi (Sr., Eldoret Kenya) 
– Jared Peaslee (Fr., Weaton, Ill.)
– Nate Pudner (Sr., Auburn, Ala.)
– Charlie Slaughter (R-Fr., Birmingham, Ala.)
– Kirami Yego (R-Fr., Kapenguria, Kenya)

NOTES
- The meet marks the 47th running of the Azalea City Classic hosted by South Alabama.
- The last time South's men ran the course was on Oct. 31 at the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Championships where they picked up the program's ninth conference title placing five runners in the top 11 spots.
- At the 2020 Azalea City Classic, the Jaguar men took home eight of the top nine spots, including each of the first six, and were led by Yego who won the event with a time of 15:23.6.
- Yego's win a season ago marked the third straight year a South Alabama male runner has paced the field and the sixth time in the last eight times at the meet.
- Kemboi placed second at last year's home meet after crossing the line first at the 2019 meet.
- The men have finished first as a team at the meet in six of the last eight meets at the Azalea City Classic. 
- The South Alabama men return three all-SBC runners – Yego (first team), Kemboi (second team) and Pudner (third team) – from last season's championship team.
- A Jaguar runner on the women's side has captured top individual honors at the meet for each of the past six seasons with Caroline Millenaar doing so last fall.
- As a team, South's women have taken home team honors at the Azalea City three of the last for times at the event.
- Maguad just missed all-conference honors last fall placing 16th at the championship meet. The sophomore has finished inside the top 30 in seven of her eight career meets.
- South Alabama will hosts the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Friday, Oct. 29 on this same course later this fall marking the sixth time in program history that the Jaguars have hosted the league championship event.

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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