Bulldogs Head To Huntsville For Southern Showcase

Friday, September 13

Huntsville, Ala.

University of Georgia

Southern Showcase

Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA

September 12, 2024 | Cross Country

ATHENS, Ga. – The Georgia cross country teams are set to compete at the Southern Showcase, hosted by Jacksonville State, on Friday morning. The meet will mark the second of three regular season meets for the Bulldogs, who opened the 2024 campaign two weeks ago at the Stan Sims Cross Country Opener.

When Do The Starting Guns Fire: Friday morning's action will kick off with the men's 8k race at 10 a.m. ET. The women's 5k will follow an hour later at 11 a.m. with both races taking place at John Hunt Cross Country Park in Huntsville, Ala.

Who Is the Competition: The Bulldogs will join a large field of competitors at Friday's meet, which will feature 55 teams on the women's side and 52 in the men's race. Georgia will be joined by a number of Southeastern Conference foes, including the No. 9 Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt men's teams and the No. 12 Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt women's squads.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with a chance of rain in Huntsville at race time on Friday morning.

Live Results: https://gado.gs/c39

Tribble's Thoughts: "Friday's race should be a great opportunity to see where we are as a team," said head coach Adam Tribble. "A very large field with a few SEC teams mixed in, this should give us a good measuring stick before we head into a big training block in preparation for the championship portion of the season. Both teams have been working hard and making good progress thus far."

What Dogs Are Competing: Twenty-two runners are expected to compete for the Bulldogs. The Bulldog women will take a smaller squad which includes senior Gracie O'Neal; juniors Lorel Golden and Nina Ouellette; sophomores Bella Brick, Bella Cammarota, and Ella Kepple; and freshmen Kate Robinson and Izzy Yonas.

The men's runners representing Georgia are seniors Cole Heron, KC Heron, and Zack Truitt; redshirt sophomore Mark Trammell; sophomores Andrew Balogh, Luke Churchwell, Logan Dingman, John Jessup, Ryan Olree, and Conner Rutherford; and freshmen Conor Clifford, Adam Lippe, Joseph Minecci, and Simon Schabort.

Bulldog Debuts: Nine runners competed in the Red and Black for the first time at the Stan Sims Opener two weeks ago. Clifford, Lippe, Minecci, Robinson, Schabort, Trammell, and Yonas all debuted in the Kennesaw State-hosted meet and will take the course again when the Bulldogs run in Huntsville on Friday. Other Bulldogs who made their debuts in the season-opening meet were freshmen Elizabeth Cowley and Kayla Dickerson.

Last Time Out: Georgia opened the 2024 campaign at the Stan Sims Cross Country Opener on Aug. 30 with both teams finishing second. Olree put together a runner-up performance in the men's 4-mile race, leading group of four Bulldogs who finished in the top 10 individually. Rutherford was the second Bulldog across the finish line in fifth place while Churchwell (9^th), Schabort (10^th), and Cole Heron (11^th) rounded out the scorers for Georgia.

In her collegiate debut, Robinson led the Lady Bulldogs with a fifth-place finish in the women's 5k while classmate Yonas finished close behind in 11^th. Golden (13^th), O'Neal (17^th), and Brick (25^th) rounded out the top-five finishers for the Bulldog women in Acworth, Ga.

What's Up Next: The Bulldogs will have a month off from competition before taking the course at Alabama's Crimson Classic on Oct. 18. That meet will mark the final regular season meet before the SEC Championships, which are slated for Nov. 1 in College Station, Texas.

Following the SEC Championships, the Bulldogs will head to Tallahassee, Fla., for the NCAA South Regional on Nov. 15. Those who qualify will continue their season at the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Madison, Wis.

Where To Find Bulldog News: Results and recaps from the Bulldogs' cross country season will be found at georgiadogs.com. News and updates from Georgia's track and field and cross country teams are always located on X/Instagram at @UGATrack.