TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Valdosta State men's and women's cross country teams continued their fall campaigns Friday morning at the Florida State Cross Country Invitational, facing one of the deepest fields of the season at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla. With nationally ranked Division I programs and perennial Division II contenders in attendance, the Blazers gained valuable experience against elite competition.

On the men's side, sophomore Nick Waddell led the way for VSU in the 8K, clocking 26:43.1 to finish 87th overall. He was followed by freshman James Wilkerson, who crossed in 27:39.7, while sophomore Toshiya Bass (28:32.0), junior Caleb Tilford (29:37.8), and junior Randall Luke (30:40.8) rounded out the Blazers' scoring five. The Blazer men's team showed resilience in a field dominated by SEC power Georgia, which swept the top spots and claimed the team title with 21 points. VSU finished 26th overall out of 34 teams. 

In the women's 6K, freshman Samantha Savinon-Rios paced the Blazers with a strong performance, finishing in 24:54.3. She was joined in the scoring column by junior Alanta Lofton (25:30.6), sophomore Emma Burnett (25:34.0), sophomore Ella Burnett (26:10.3), and senior Anna Brown (26:49.2). Freshman Alyssa Youmans (30:06.7) also gained experience on the championship-style course. LSU claimed the women's title with 30 points, led by a 1-2 finish from Edna Chepkemoi and Abigael Chemnagei.

The Blazers will return to action Saturday, Oct. 11, at the UAH Chargers Invitational in Huntsville, Alabama, on the campus of The University of Alabama at Huntsville, as the Blazers continue to build toward the Gulf South Conference Championships in late October.

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