TAMPA, Fla. (October 31, 2024) – The University of South Florida men's and women's cross-country teams are set to compete in the 2024 American Athletic Conference Championships on Friday, Nov. 1, in Wichita, Kansas. The women's 6K race is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. CDT, followed by the men's 8K race at 4:50 p.m., with both events available for streaming on ESPN+.

The conference will honor the top 15 finishers as All-Conference athletes, and the top true freshman finisher will receive Freshman of the Year recognition. The prestigious Runner of the Year awards will be announced after the NCAA Championships. 

"Our athletes have shown incredible commitment and resilience this season," said USF Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins. "This conference championship is a great opportunity for them to showcase their hard work, and we're excited to compete at a high level against strong competition."

The Bulls aim for their first men's all-conference runner since 2015, when Michael Babinec placed 13th with a time of 24:21.67. The women's team seeks their first all-conference runner since 2016, when Jessica Taylor finished 10th overall with a time of 21:11.2. The team also looks to break into the top five overall for the first time since their fifth-place finish in 2015.

When competing in 8Ks this season, USF's top time came from sophomore Karim Belmahdi, who ran 24:46.1 during the Bulls' trip to Tallahassee, Florida, on Oct. 11. In 5K races, USF's two best times were set by freshman Giovana Meade, who clocked 17:53.4, and junior Hailey Cohen, with a time of 18:09.7, both also achieved on Oct. 11.

USF will have strong representation, with nine of its 14 women's runners and eight of its 10 men's runners competing. 

Live results for the event will be available here, and the championship home page can be accessed here.

Following the AAC Championships, qualifying Bulls will advance to the NCAA South Regional competition in Tallahassee, Florida, on Nov. 15. 

Athletes Competing:
Women's 6K: Victoria Valdez, Marlo Hibler, Giovana Meade, Delaney Stephens, Katie Thompson, Chloe Fernander, Sydney Granack, Hailey Cohen, Catalina Edwards
Men's 8K: Andrew Marello, Sean Perry, Clayton Knight, Jack Dravo, Jayven Garcia, John Keester, Karim Belmahdi, Sebastian Edwards

A Glance At Last Year:
In the 6K, the women finished in eighth place with a final score of 251 points. This marked the most teams the program has finished ahead of in the past six years, beating out six other teams.

In the 8K, the men's squad also finished in eighth place with a score of 256 points, beating out four other teams. This marked the most teams the program has finished ahead of in conference history. 
 
About USF Cross Country 
The USF Cross Country team has earned 2 All-America selections, Christina Benton in 2002 and Gray Mavhera in 1994. The Bulls have advanced to the NCAA Cross Country Championships seven times in program history, three times for the men and four times for the women. The USF men's teams have won seven team conference championships, and the women have won five team championships. Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Erik Jenkins took over the program in 2019 and during his tenure the Bulls posted twelve program records and 106 top 10 all-time program marks. USF hosted the 2018 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary and the 2021 and 2023 AAC Outdoor Championship at the USF Track and Field Stadium, as well as the 2022 AAC Country Cross Country Championship at Holloway Park.