Gamecocks Sweep Team Titles at Firehawk Invitational Friday

Friday, October 20

Florence, Ala.

9:45 a.m.

Jacksonville State University

Firehawk Invitational

10/20/2023 3:03:00 PM | Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Men's Results Women's Results

FLORENCE, Ala. – It was a clean sweep for Jax State cross country on Friday morning at McFarland Park as the Gamecocks took the top spots individually and as a team in the both the men's and women's events at the Tennessee Southern Firehawk Invitational.

Sophomore Jack Lowe claimed the men's 8K title, while junior Bethelhem Manzano Jimeno cruised to the win in the women's 6K. The team victory for the women was the first for the program since taking the title at their own Foothills Invitational in 2013. The men's top spot was the best results since finishing runner-ups at the 2015 Mercer Invite.

Lowe paced the field in the men's 8K with a new personal best 25:19.9 time to improve his own mark as the eighth-best 8K time in school history. He was followed by Rodrigo Fraga in third with a time of 25:50.9 across the McFarland Park course. In both races, Jax State placed its five scorers in the top 15 overall. Steele Joiner and Mason McMahon also notched top 10 spots, while J.R. Proctor placed 15 th with a 26:56.9. Kyle Bord narrowly missed cracked Jax State's top five with a 27:27.1 for a season-best time.

Fraga also turned in a season-best, while Lowe, Steele McMahon and Proctor's time all registered fast enough for new PRs. The Gamecocks' 26:08 average was the best 8K mark of the season as a team.

"Steele, Mason and J.R. ran very well in our 3-5 spots," said head coach Jeremy Provence following the meet. "A lot of the improvements as a team can be credited to how they have stepped up, worked hard each day compete from start to finish pm race day."

Running the longest distance of any race to this point in the season, Jax State's women followed up the men's performance sweeping the top spots in the women's 6K race.

In a 6K distance usually reserved for postseason competition, all of the Gamecock women turned in new personal bests led by Jimeno's 21:33.2 winning time. Lindsay Fletcher remained attached to Jimeno for much of the race before following her across the line in second with a time of 22:07.1. Anna Strickland followed in sixth place (23:31.7), before Sierra Wainer and Juliana Ballew rounded out the Gamecock scoring. Freshman Lornah Kariuki also showed well in 32nd with a sub-27 minute mark.

"Beti has been much more consistent with traning this season and has been healthy, which is a big part of the process. I'm very proud of her picking up another individual win this season."

Jimeno now has three career individual titles, including her last two meets of 2023.

"Lindsay attached herself to Beti early in the race and is a very strong second half runner wgo looked great today. Anna might have had her best performance today. She continues to improve and today crossed the line in front of several individuals that are ahead of her on paper."

"Overall it was another good performance for the women, we are in a good spot as we head to postseason."