OAKVILLE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Men's Cross Country team made history by winning the program's first-ever SSAC Men's Cross Country Championship on Friday, Nov. 8, besting runner-up UT Southern (Tenn.) despite the Firehawks' Bruno Villazon clocking in at 25:32.08 to win the SSAC Men's Cross Country Individual Championship by 14 seconds. Competing at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in north Alabama, the Rams clinched the victory with an impressive total score of 43 points, outperforming UT-Southern's 54 points in the process.
The win for the Rams earns Mobile an automatic team bid to the 2024 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship, set for Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
SSAC Championship Results & Awards
Leading the charge for Mobile on Friday was Joe Stevens and Jacob Harned, who finished in second and third place respectively with times of 25:46.46 and 25:47.03. Other crucial performances included Joey Jones, who came home fifth with a time of 25:54.40, and Preston Webb in 11th overall at 26:13.26. William Givens rounded out the team's scoring, finishing in 22nd with a time of 27:01.52.
Stevens, Harned, Jones, and Webb were all later named as 2024 SSAC Men's Cross Country All-Conference selections following their top-15 finishes, while head coach Leith Rawson collected the 2024 SSAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Award in his first full season leading the Rams.
This historic victory comes after Mobile has finished as the conference's runner-up in each of the last two seasons.
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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.
