NEW ORLEANS – After helping South Alabama sweep both the team and individual titles in both the men's and women's 5k at the 49th Annual Azalea City Classic, both Xavier Johnson (Men's) and Starlynn Costa (Women's) were named the Sun Belt Conference Runners of the Week on Wednesday as announced by the league office.

The honor marks the second of Johnson's career and the 50th all-time for a Jaguar male runner, while it was the first of Costa's career and the 21st for a South Alabama female runner. The Jags also swept the weekly league honor last fall on September 14.

With Teagan Flanagan setting out the season opener, it was Johnson's time to shine for the Jaguars as the sophomore captured the individual 5k title with a time of ??? and led the team to the team title at the season-opening meet. 

Johnson's win marked the second-straight fall in which he has won the meet and the sixth-straight season in which a Jag has won the men's competition at the Azalea City Classic, and nine of the last 11.

Led by Costa, who earned her first career win with a personal-best time of 18:32.2 in the 5k at the home meet, South Alabama captured the top six spots to finish with 15 points, 33 points lower than Mobile (48). 

Costa's win marked the first victory of her career and the ninth-straight year a South Alabama woman has taken home individual honors. Costa trimmed off 10 seconds of her previous 5k best, and was nearly a minute faster (47 seconds) than fellow Jag, Teanna Cason, who finished second in the field.

South Alabama will next compete on Friday, September 29 at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival hosted by Arkansas at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark. The women's 5k is scheduled to begin at 3:15 pm, with the men's 8k set for a 3:45 pm start.

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