LIVINGSTON, Ala. - With the season set to begin next weekend, the University of West Alabama Cross Country program has four runners on the GSC Runners to Watch List. 

Men's Cross Country's Lorenzo Pelusi and Jonathan Phillips represent the Tigers on the men's side while Women's Cross Country's Rita Walker and Miriam Dominguez-Tellez represent UWA's women's squad.

Pelusi is one of the top returners in the GSC after turning in a fantastic introductory campaign in 2025. The rising sophomore competed in six meets last season, including the South Region Championship and GSC Championship. Pelusi's career best in the 10k is 34:33.4 while his 8k time stands at 25:29.4.

As for Phillips, he also competed in six meets last season. The senior turned in a career best time in the 8k event at the GSC Championships, crossing the finish line in 26:27.9. Two weeks later, at the South Region Championship, Phillips clocked another career best, this time coming in the 10k with a time of 35:10.6.

For West Alabama's women's squad, Walker leads the way as one of UWA's top returners. In her first season with the Tigers in 2025, the senior turned in career bests in both the 5k and 6k events. At the Chile Pepper Festival, Walker crossed the finish line in 20:01.8 to set a new personal best. Later in the year, at the GSC Championships, the senior turned in a time of 23:52.8 in the 6k, setting a new personal record.

As for Dominguez-Tellez, she also stands as one of the top returners on the Tigers' roster. The senior clocked a 19:49.8 time in the 5k at the Chile Pepper Festival in 2025, standing as a personal best. Dominguez-Tellez followed that with a 23:31.8 time in the 6k at the GSC Championships, setting that stage for a breakout senior campaign in 2026.

Pelusi, Phillips, Walker, and Dominguez-Tellez lead UWA into their first meet of the 2026 campaign on September 5 at the Memphis Twilight, hosted by the Memphis Tigers.