LIVINGSTON, Ala.—The University of West Alabama men's and women's cross-country teams are set to open their 2025 campaign this weekend in Florence, Alabama.
The women's team are led by a core of experienced returners from last season.
Augusta Arnold, Laurel Morse, and
Autumn Sansing all return to pace the women's squad after competing at the Gulf South Conference Championships in 2024.
Arnold led the Tigers last fall clocking a time of
26:17.4, while
Morse crossed in
27:06.6.
Sansing followed close behind, running
28:01.2.
This fall, UWA added two key newcomers from Shelton State Community College,
Rita Walker and
Miriam Dominguez-Telllez. Walker put together an impressive résumé with the Bucs, highlighted by a
third-place finish at the ACCC/Region XXII Cross Country Championships and a
23rd-place showing at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. In addition, Dominguez captured
first place at the ACCC/Region XXII Cross Country Championships and finishing
18th overall at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
Moreover, although
Mercy Lomuria did not compete in cross country last fall, she made her mark on the track in a big way. Lomuria was a
two-time GSC Freshman of the Week in 2024 and set school records in both the
5000m and
3000m runs. Her breakthrough performances on the track established her as one of UWA's most promising young distance athletes, and she now looks to carry that same energy and momentum into her first collegiate cross-country season.
Also returning to the course this fall is
Kiona McAllister, who last competed in cross country during the 2023 season before spending 2024 with the UWA women's basketball program. As a sophomore, McAllister gained valuable experience, highlighted by her
career-best 5K time of 22:28.6 at the 2023 GSC Championships, where she finished 87th overall. She also ran
23:58.9 at the Montevallo Falcon Classic and
23:24.9 at the Alexander ASICS Invitational that same season. Now back in the cross-country lineup, McAllister provides additional depth and athleticism for UWA's women's squad in 2025.
On the men's side, the Tigers turned in a strong performance last fall, finishing
eighth overall with 208 points at the GSC Championships. Led by
Gary Mata, who paced UWA in the 8k with a
25th-place finish in 25:34.1, followed closely by
Jentzen Moore, who clocked
25:55.3 for 33rd. and
Wilbur Valencia-Nava (60th, 27:22.0) rounded out the Tigers' scoring lineup.
The Tigers also bring in a talented group of newcomers to bolster their lineup in 2025.
Julian Council, a freshman from Georgia Military College High School, is a two-time 1A Division II State Champion with a personal-best
5K time of 16:23.00.
Ray Englebert, a junior transfer from Meridian Community College and Paul Bryant High School alum, adds collegiate experience with marks of
4:08.72 in the 1500m and
26:46 in the 8K.
UWA also welcomes international talent in
Lorenzo Pelusi and
Mathis Breton from France. Pelusi will make his cross country debut this fall after excelling on the track with personal bests of
4:06.72 in the 1500m, 8:42.23 in the 3000m, and 15:02.29 in the 5000m. Breton joins the Tigers as a graduate student, bringing distance strength with times of
8:59 in the 3000m, 15:15 in the 5000m, and 32:02 in the 10,000m.
Rounding out the class is freshman
Evan Young from Northside High School, who posted a personal-best
5K time of 17:27.5 in cross country.
Both the UWA men's and women's squads will use the UNA Invitational as an early benchmark to showcase their returning talent and integrate key newcomers. With experienced leaders and fresh faces ready to contribute, the Tigers look to set a competitive tone for the 2025 cross country season.
