CLINTON, Miss. - The University of Mobile Men's and Women's Cross Country teams concluded the regular season portion of the 2024 schedule on Friday, Oct. 18, competing at the annual Watson Collegiate XC Classic in central Mississippi. Both teams at Mobile secured top-10 finishes in the final regular season race of the year, with the men's team coming home third overall out of 22 teams in the competed 8k, while the women's team placed seventh overall out of 23 team entrants in a 6k.
After five regular season meets this season, the Rams are now set for the postseason, entering the conference championships in early November with momentum of their side.
Race Highlights
For the men's team, Joey Jones paced the way with a ninth-place finish overall out of 227 individual racers. He recorded a new personal record of 25:13 in the 8k, averaging 5:04 on his mile. Jones' time on Friday places him second across the entire SSAC this season, trailing only UT-Southern's Bruno Villazon (24:41). For the team, Mobile tallied 107 points, recording a total team time of 2:08:54.
Team Leaderboard
For the women's team, Mobile came home with a total team time of 2:04:16, two seconds faster than the previous 6k ran just last week. The Rams scored 218 points on Friday as sophomore Kaylea Holmes put together her best performance of the year to lead the charge. Out of 178 competitors, Holmes placed 27th overall with a time of 24:22. She improved by two seconds from the previous 6k ran where she recorded a time of 26:01.
Team Leaderboard
SSAC Cross Country Championship Preview
The UM Cross Country teams will not see action again until the upcoming SSAC Cross Country Championships in three weeks. Mobile's Joey Jones, Jacob Harned, Joe Stevens, and Preston Webb all sit within the top five in the conference 8k times ahead of the men's conference championship this season, with several more Rams sitting just outside the top 10. After two consecutive runner-up performances in the conference championship, the Rams will look to capture the program's first SSAC Championship trophy in team history. For the women's race, Mobile's Claire Atkins, Kayley Burgess, and Haley Jones all sit within the top 10 in the SSAC for best 5k times this year. Like the men's team, the Rams will look to win the first SSAC Championship in program history.
The 2024 SSAC Cross Country Championships are scheduled for the morning of Nov. 8, and will be held at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in Oakville, Ala. Start times and more information are listed below.
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
