HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Valdosta State cross country team concluded their third race of the 2024 season in a loaded field at the Chargers XC Invitational. The women finished 21^st in a field of 34, while the men finished 28^th in a field of 35. No. 7 Chico State took home first on the men's side while the No. 22 Gorillas of Pittsburg State placed first on the women's side.
 
The men started things off with the 8k at 9:00 a.m. ET. Freshman Nick Waddell paced the Blazers with a time of 26:36.2 which put him in 186^th. Graduate student Elijah Pace recorded a new PR this morning, as the Cedartown, Ga. native crossed the finish line in 192^nd place with a PR time of 26:40.3. Valdosta native Parker Jackson was the third Blazer to finish as he finished 218^th with a time of 27:22.1. Valdosta State ran against five ranked teams, as the stacked field was great preparation for the upcoming GSC XC Championship in two weeks.
 

"Extremely competitive field. Each runner overcame adversities and gave their best effort this morning despite not arriving to Huntsville until 10 p.m. last night due to travel complications." – Head Coach Todd Smoot

 
The women stayed competitive the whole morning, as they placed 21^st as a team in a field that featured five ranked teams. VSU finished higher than fellow GSC foes in Christian Brothers, West Alabama and Delta State. The senior duo of Caitlyn Koske and Katie LaCroix continued to lead the pack for Valdosta State, as Koske finished 102^nd with a time of 23:04 and LaCroix right behind her in 108^th, finishing with a time of 23:11.8 in the 6k. Junior Anna Brown set a new PR in the 6k, as the Warner Robbins, Ga. native finished 188^th with a time of 25:21.8. Sophomore Sarah Simpson and freshman Ella Burnett set PR's in the 6k, as it was their first time running in the event at VSU.
 
Valdosta State now has their eyes set on the GSC XC Championship, that will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m. ET with the men's 8k followed by the women's 6k. The race was originally supposed to take place in Valdosta at Freedom Park, but Hurricane Helene forced VSU to move the race to Clinton, Miss.