MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama men’s cross country team reached a milestone Monday, cracking the top 15 in the latest NCAA Division I South Region poll after a victory at the Choctaw Open Saturday.
The Jaguars earned 17 total points in the meet the past weekend, taking three of the top four individual slots overall. Patrick Rohr (second, 26:03.69), Ronny Wilson (third, 26:08.76), and Alex Shields (fourth, 26:13.62) led the squad to its first victory of the season. The Jags also got top-15 finishes from Ian Bordelon (26:32.59), Justin Housley (27:07.07) and Buddy Soto (27:37.98).
Saturday’s victory marked the third top-two finish for the Jags this year. They placed second at the Troy Invitational to open the season and second again two weeks later when they hosted the Azalea City Classic. Rohr — a freshman — has been the Jags’ top runner this season, having notched three top-10 individual finishes. USA has also received two top-10 finishes from sophomores Wilson and Bordelon.
This marks the first time the men’s team has been ranked in the top 15 since 2010, when USA entered the season rated 10th in the South Region.
“It’s good for our team,” said head cross country coach Mike Barbee. “We’ve made some progress. Obviously our goal is to finish in the top 15 at the regional championship.”
However, Barbee says that right now his squad is focused on next week’s conference championships. “The regional meet is important, but the conference meet is our priority right now,” he stated. “Not only does it come before regionals, but in the grand scheme of things, the conference meet is more important to our team than regionals.”
The Jaguars sit one spot behind league foe Middle Tennessee, who they will face at the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Bowling Green, Ky., Saturday, Oct. 27.
“We’re flattered by the ranking, but nothing matters until the day of the regional meet,” Barbee said. “You’ve got to line up and see where the cards fall, but if we can end up in the top 15, that would be a huge step forward for the team.”
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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