HUNTSVILLE – Jepkirui Kurgoi managed a new program record in the women's 5k on Friday at the Southern Showcase, helping the Gamecockcs place 12^th out of 52 teams in Huntsville. The Jax State men placed 10^th out of 48 participating teams.

"This was a really good test for both teams," said Jax State Head Coach Jeremy Provence, "We continue to see a lot of growth with both groups. A meet of this size and competitiveness not only challenges the teams physically, but it can be emotionally overwhelming at times."

Just one week after Mercy Jebet set the program record at the Foothills Invitational, Kurgoi shortened the mark by two seconds, managing a 17:21.06 5k time for 30^th place out of 480 participants. Jebet finished just two spots behind, taking home 32^nd with a time of 17:24.79.

Through just two meets, Kurgoi and Jebet, both freshmen, now boast the top four 5k times in program history.

"I'm really impressed with the groups that we have," said Provence, "They compete hard and trust each other."

Charity Mabuza (96^th), Selina Planken (105^th) and Olivia King (136^th), rounded out the top five for the Jax State women.

"The women's improvement from last year has been exciting to see. Two meets in and we have had two different individuals set the school record. As a whole, I believe we have the pieces that will give us the opportunity to be very competitive come November."
On the men's side, Jax State was led by senior Jack Lowe, crossing the finish line with an 8k time of 24:31.69, the seventh best time in program history. The Pell City native managed 37^th place out of 459 finishers.

Lowe was followed by Nelbat Kiprop Kirwa and Meshack Kosgei in 61^st and 63^rd respectively, with the finishing just one second apart. Evan Allen placed 80^th with reigning CUSA Freshman of the Week Nolan McGregor rounding out the top five by placing 112^th.

"For the men, the upperclassmen like Jack and Evan have been exceptional leaders in practice and meets," said Provence, "They understand the grind of a long season and the importance of being patient as we prepare to be at our best for postseason."
The four top-100 finishers allowed Jax State to secure tenth, ahead of Miami, Florida State, Kennesaw State and others.

"I think we did a great job executing the plan of working in our groups early. It probably cost us some position late in the race, but we still beat a lot of good teams, and we will reap the benefits come November. "
 
Jax State looks ahead to the Gans Creek Classic hosted by Missouri on Sept. 26 in Columbia, Mo.

"We feel good about where we are after the first two meets of the season, but we have a lot of work ahead as we prepare for conference and beyond," said Provence.