JACKSONVILLE – The Jax State cross country teams are set to open up the 2024 campaign with the 18th edition of the Foothills Invitational on Friday, Aug. 30 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. beginning at 5:30 p.m.
 
Meet Details
Foothills Invitational
Friday, August 30
5:30 p.m. (Men) | 6:15 p.m. (Women)
Choccolocco Park
Oxford, Alabama
 
Live Results
Competing Teams
Starting Assignments
 
 
Foothills Invitational
The 2024 Foothills Invitational is the 18th edition of the event, with Jax State coming off of ninth place team finishes in both the men's and women's 2023 race. The 2024 version of the meet sees 22 men's teams and 25 women's teams, highlighted by Alabama, Auburn, Jax State, Samford and Troy. West Georgia is also competing in the event while UAB and Georgia State are both prepping teams for the women's race. 
 
I Love Choccolocco
The Foothills Invitational is being held at Jax State's home course, Choccolocco Park. The season opening meet is the first of two events hosted by Jax State at Choccolocco Park this season, preceding the 2024 Conference USA Championships set for Nov. 2. This will be the fourth consecutive season that Jax State has opened up the year at Choccolocco Park. 
 
Schedule Preview
Following the Foothills Invitational, the Gamecocks will compete in five other regular season events before moving on to the postseason. Jax State travels to Florence, Ala. on Sept. 7 for the UNA Invitational before participating in the Firehawk invitational in Oakville, Ala. on Sept. 21. Jacksonville State will then run in the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by Arkansas on Sept. 28 before traveling to Tallahassee, Fla. for the FSU Invitational on Oct. 11. Jax State wraps up the regular season with the Upstate Invitational on Oct. 19 in Spartanburg, S.C. before returning to Oxford for the Conference USA Championships. 
 
Year Two
2024 serves as the second season at the helm of the Jax State Cross Country program for head coach Jeremy Provence. Provence arrived at Jax State in the spring of 2023 for outdoor track and field season before leading the Gamecocks into the first year of Conference USA competition in his first season with the program in 2023.
 
Returners
On the men's side, Jacksonville State returns 11 individuals from the 2023 season, including seniors Kyle Boyd, Rodrigo Fraga, Sam Green, Kaden Marker, Mason McMahon and JR Proctor. Jack Lowe leads juniors Kaden Harris, Steele Joiner, Caden Meyer and Tanner Rice to round out the rest of the team. Last season, Lowe took home an individual title and helped the Gamecocks to win a team title at the Firehawk Invitational. 
 
The Jax State women's roster features four familiar faces from last season, led by senior Bethelhem Manzano Jimeno. Trinity Schraudner also enters the 2024 season as a senior while Lindsay Fletcher returns for her junior season. Sophomore Lornah Kariuki also returns for the upcoming fall season. Manzano Jimeno took home a pair of individual titles last season both in the Live in the Lou Classic and the Firehawk Invitational. Fletcher placed one spot behind Manzano Jimeno to take home second place in the Firehawk Invitational. 
 
Newcomers
The men's cross country team features eight newcomers in addition to the returning squad. Freshmen Eian Phillips, Blake Graham, Drew Cook and Stephen Billman each come to Jax State from high schools within the state of Alabama with Cook and Graham combining for numerous AHSAA State Championship appearances. Juan Camacho Tabuenca and Mark Roper each join the Gamecock squad from Spain where the pair are both accomplished in cross country and on the track. Meshack Kosgei and Dennis Kipkurui round out the team, each coming to Jacksonville by way of Kenya.

Transfers Rudi Barnette, Emily Coddington and Olivia King are the first of 12 new faces for the Gamecock women's cross country team in 2024. Maxima Majer, Mia Haubrichs, Linda Grundmann and Lotta Giersdorff all enter their first season at Jax State as incoming freshmen from Germany. Rania Gabriela Yousef Moreno, Helana White, Clara Rubio Machacon and Katie Langford round out the rest of the Gamecock freshmen. Junior Breanna Becerra participated last season on the Gamecock track and field team and will try her hand at cross country in 2024. 

To keep up with Jax State Cross Country, follow @JaxStateXCTF on X, Instagram and Facebook.