Jax State XC Moves to Conference USA Championship - Jacksonville State University Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – After completing seven weeks of regular season competition, the Jax State men's and women's cross country teams now turn to the postseason, beginning with Conference USA Championship at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. on Saturday morning.

The conference championship races will begin at 9 a.m. CT with the women's 6k, followed by the men's 8k at 10 a.m. CT with award ceremonies to follow the men's race.

As a whole, the Jax State cross country program enters the CUSA Championship with a lot of positive momentum on its side. The men's team is coming off back-to-back meet wins at the FSU Invitational on Oct. 9 and the Kennemer Classic on Oct. 16, paired with the women's team who were a runner-up finisher at Florida State and a top-finisher at Kennemer Classic.

Jax State's freshman duo of Kipkurgat and Sergon have been a driving force of the Gamecocks' success this season, as the two have each won four CUSA Freshman of the Week awards, along with a CUSA Athlete of the Week award as well. With both coming off of school record-setting performances at the Kennemer Classic, they will look to improve upon their accolades in the postseason.

Another duo to watch is last season's Freshman of the Meet, Viola Jepleting ,and men's newcomer, Linus Chepkochei. Jepleting has compiled four podium finishes in her five meet appearances this season, alongside Chepkochei that has found the podium twice out of four appearances.

The Gamecocks will make their return to John Hunt Park for the first time since the Southern Showcase meet in September that saw multiple strong performances from both squads. The last time out in Huntsville, freshman Shadrack Kipkurgat set a then school record with a 23:32.0 mark in the 8k that he would later break just two weeks ago on Oct. 16 at the Kennemer Classic.
The women's squad put together a strong showing at Southern Showcase as well, finishing No. 7 out of 31 schools, placing higher than Georgia Tech, Delaware, Belmont, Baylor and Samford in the process.

Last season's CUSA Championship saw the Jax State men's squad finish third, trailing behind Middle Tennessee and Liberty on the podium and the women's unit placing seventh. On Saturday, the Gamecocks will look to climb the leaderboard higher in an in-state bout.

Following the conference championship meet, Jax State will travel back down to Tallahassee for the NCAA South Regional Championship on Nov. 13.

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Players Mentioned

Linus Chepkochei

Viola Jepleting

Shadrack Kipkurgat

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