NEW ORLEANS, La. - The South Alabama men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2025 season at the Battle for New Orleans on Friday night, co-hosted by Tulane and the University of New Orleans.

The women's team finished sixth in the 4K out of nine teams. Charleen Elizondo was the top finisher for the Jaguars, placing nineteenth overall with a time of 14:22.89. The race featured 91 individual runners.

The Jaguar men marked a fourth place team finish with freshman Brady Keller making his collegiate debut with an eighteenth place finish. He was the highest-placing Jaguar in the men's 5K with a time of 15:30.79. The men's side had an individual field of 85.

South Alabama Women's Individual Finishes:
19. Charleen Elizondo - 14:22.89 / 34. Samantha Menikheim - 14:49.91 / 50. Kate Miller - 15:28.37 / 57. Tyndal Ann Griffith - 15:44.01 / 63. Hannah Quick - 15:57.61 / 66. Aubrey Zubrei - 16:06.48 / 70. Abigail Amick - 16:23.63 / 77. Katie Giles - 17:42.91

South Alabama Men's Individual Finishes:
18. Brady Keller - 15:30.79 / 21. Xavier Johnson - 15:35.50 / 22. Tyler Doty - 15:40.35 / 27. JD Wine - 15:50.53 / 36. Blayton Bernard - 16:13.48 / 40. Carson Barlow - 16:24.07 / 45. Luke Regan - 16.34.19 / 48. John Luke Stovall - 16:42.69 / 50. Jean-Pierre Le Roux - 16:47.87

Head Coach Parker Cowles
- On the women's team,
"Charleen (Elizondo) is in a good spot. She raced conservative and smart and I think she will take off as the season progresses. Sam Menikheim ran like we needed her to. Kate Miller was our three but had the strongest day. I challenged these ladies to be a better team. We have a long way to go but after today I think they are on the right track."

- On the men's team performance and expectations,
"Brady (Keller) ran well; I do expect him to get rapidly better as he learns how to approach cross country. JD Wine had the best race for the men, relative to where he was at last year. He worked hard this summer and really wants to earn a spot in the top five. We have some returning all Conference athletes that need to return to form. If we can manage that we can compete with anyone in the Sun Belt."

Post-Race Notes

• Jaguar freshman Brady Keller, JD Wine, and Hannah Quick all making their collegiate debuts.
• Senior Xavier Johnson set a personal best with a time of 15:35.50, beating his previous time of 15:38.8 in 2022 at the Azalea City Cross Country Classic where he took first place.

Up Next
The Jaguars will compete in the Southern Showcase hosted by Jacksonville State on Friday, September 12, in Jacksonville, Ala.

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