LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are all set for the 2024 GSC Championships on Saturday which will take place on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi.
The men's squad will kick things off at 8:30 a.m. with their 8K race before the women's team steps up to the starting line at 9:15 a.m. for their 6K event. Following the conclusion of both races, the GSC will hold their awards ceremony at 10:15 a.m. where they will announce a multitude of postseason awards.
Gary Mata has been the leader of West Alabama's men's group for the entire 2024 campaign. The junior is primed for a big weekend after finishing in the top-five in two of the four meets this year for the Tigers. No other member of UWA's team has finished above Mata in 2024 as the Biloxi, Mississippi native looks to break through and help West Alabama secure a GSC Championship.
Alongside Mata on the men's side is Jentzen Moore. Moore has been solid for head coach Sterling Martin, finishing fourth at the Chile Pepper Festival back in September before setting a new personal best at the Chargers XC Invitational with an 8K time of 25:40.6. Teammates Seth Lord, Jayson Lynch, Wilbur Valencia-Nava, and Dave Hubert will provide depth for UWA which they will need if they want to compete with GSC Heavyweights, Lee, Alabama Huntsville, Mississippi College, etc.
On the women's side for West Alabama, Augusta Arnold remains at the top of the roster and will be pivotal for the Tigers' success on Saturday. Like Mata on the men's side, Arnold has been the first UWA competitor to cross the finish line in every meet this season. The senior's 2024 campaign is highlighted by a 25:43.6 personal best which she hit in West Alabama's latest meet, the Chargers XC Invitational.
While Arnold has led the way, Jordan Conner, Kayley Key, Laurel Morse, and Autumn Sansing have steadily improved over the course of the season. Conner has decreased her 5K time in every meet this year and comes into Saturday's 6K Championship race after debuting in the event two weekends ago, accumulating a time of 27:13.6. Saturday will mark the third 6K race for Key, Morse, and Sansing as the trio looks to record new personal bests.
The men's 8K Championship race is set for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday while the women's 6K Championship event is slated for 9:15 a.m. in Clinton, Mississippi.
