Cross Country Opens 2026 Season at Foothills Invitational
9/3/2026 11:19:00 AM | Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
JACKSONVILLE – The Jax State Cross Country program is set to begin its 2026 season at the Foothills Invitational on Friday morning at Choccolocco Park in nearby Oxford, Ala. for the 20th consecutive season. The women's 5k race is set to start off the day at 8:30 a.m., followed by the men's 5k race at 9:00 a.m.
This season's squad features nine returners and eight newcomers on the men's side and eight returners with six newcomers on the women's team. Two of the newcomers on the women's side include Claudia Marquez Contreras and Wiam Ghanemi Mellouki who both competed on the women's track and field team last season, but were not a part of the cross country roster.
The Jax State men's cross country team comes into the Foothills Invitational with a pair of preseason honors, including a No. 3 preseason rank in Conference USA, along with a No. 12 rank in the USTFCCCA South Region Preseason Poll. Returners Nolan McGregor and Mark Roper are set to play a large role in Friday's competition, as McGregor was Jax State's second-highest finisher in last year's Foothills Invitational with an eighth-place result and Roper being the Gamecocks' lone returning All-CUSA selection on the team.
The women's unit is returning the top two overall finishers from last season's Foothills Invitational in Mercy Jebet and Faith Kurgoi. Jebet was the first-place placer with a time of 17:23.31 and Kurgoi followed behind her with a 17:27.58 finish for second-place. Kurgoi would go on to set the school record in the women's 5k at the Southern Showcase just two weeks later after her performance in Oxford.
The Foothills Invitational was a major highlight of last season for both programs, as the men's team took home first place overall for the second season in a row, paired with the women's team taking home a second-place team result.
Head coach Jeremy Provence enters his fourth season at the helm of both cross country teams and is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw three team victories between both squads, along with having six All-Conference selections and 14 NCAA South Regional qualifiers. Additionally, last season's men's team finished 12th in the USTFCCCA South Region, which is the highest in team history, along with the women's team who placed 15th, marking the team's first USTFCCCA Regional ranking all-time.
Following the Foothills Invitational, the Gamecocks will remain in-state and head to Huntsville for the Southern Showcase on Sept. 18.
This season's squad features nine returners and eight newcomers on the men's side and eight returners with six newcomers on the women's team. Two of the newcomers on the women's side include Claudia Marquez Contreras and Wiam Ghanemi Mellouki who both competed on the women's track and field team last season, but were not a part of the cross country roster.
The Jax State men's cross country team comes into the Foothills Invitational with a pair of preseason honors, including a No. 3 preseason rank in Conference USA, along with a No. 12 rank in the USTFCCCA South Region Preseason Poll. Returners Nolan McGregor and Mark Roper are set to play a large role in Friday's competition, as McGregor was Jax State's second-highest finisher in last year's Foothills Invitational with an eighth-place result and Roper being the Gamecocks' lone returning All-CUSA selection on the team.
The women's unit is returning the top two overall finishers from last season's Foothills Invitational in Mercy Jebet and Faith Kurgoi. Jebet was the first-place placer with a time of 17:23.31 and Kurgoi followed behind her with a 17:27.58 finish for second-place. Kurgoi would go on to set the school record in the women's 5k at the Southern Showcase just two weeks later after her performance in Oxford.
The Foothills Invitational was a major highlight of last season for both programs, as the men's team took home first place overall for the second season in a row, paired with the women's team taking home a second-place team result.
Head coach Jeremy Provence enters his fourth season at the helm of both cross country teams and is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw three team victories between both squads, along with having six All-Conference selections and 14 NCAA South Regional qualifiers. Additionally, last season's men's team finished 12th in the USTFCCCA South Region, which is the highest in team history, along with the women's team who placed 15th, marking the team's first USTFCCCA Regional ranking all-time.
Following the Foothills Invitational, the Gamecocks will remain in-state and head to Huntsville for the Southern Showcase on Sept. 18.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Tuesday, September 01
Tuesday, August 25
Friday, August 14
Friday, August 14
