MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mulerider Cross Country heads to its final competition of the 2023 regular season as they prepare for the trip to Russellville, Arkansas for the Great American Conference Championships on Saturday (Oct. 21). Southern Arkansas' Women team will get things rolling as they look to start racing at 9:30 a.m. followed by the men at 10:30 a.m.
 
The Muleriders are coming off a weekend of personal records being broken all around. Ten of the SAU Cross Country members set new personal highs in Grand Prairie, Texas just two weekends ago.
 
MEN's CROSS COUNTRY
The men saw seven runners surpass their limits in the 8k. Those seven included Wesley Maxwell (PR 26:23.1), Charles Patton (PR 26:55.4), Isaac Gass (PR 27:03.9), Pedro Cervantes (PR 27:05.3), Brandon Escobar (PR 27:05.9), Joseph Uc (PR 27:17.2), and Joseph Garay (PR 27:46.7). The men entered the campaign as the fifth-place team according to the coaches around the conference and now look to catch everyone's attention in Pope County.
 
Previously at the GAC Championship, The Muleriders placed fifth overall among the eight men's cross country squads and were led by graduate student Rob Kraus who placed ninth at the competition with his third sub-26-minute 8k of the 2022 season. Returning to the GAC Championships are sophomores Maxwell, Gass, and Garay along with the junior Sanchez. Maxwell finished last year's contest in 30^th as a freshman with a time of 27:19.7. Sanchez comes back as another top-40 finisher as he placed 35^th last season with his time of 27:33.9.
 
WOMEN's CROSS COUNTRY
The women in their last race saw three racers record new personal bests in the 5k at Dallas Baptist. Those three included Logan Warren (PR 18:52.6), Rachel Solano (PR 19:19.6), and Cantley Gosdin (PR 21:04.7). The women entered the 2023 season as the sixth-place team in the league according to the coaches around the GAC and strive for new heights in the upcoming championship.
 
Warren's new 5k time shows the improvement over her third year as a Mulerider after she had finished in 16^th at the GAC Championship last fall with a time of 19:12.1. Her improved record would have been the eight-fastest time among the conference competition. Alyzah McGlasson in the race last fall secured 37^th with her time of 20:04.7 which remains as her fastest time at the conference championship. Three other racers that competed in last year's contest include Ava Zindler (21:07, Angel Redmond (21:34.6), and J'aime Brown (23:57.6). All three return to the meet after running in it as freshmen in 2022.
 
To keep up with the meet results and other information involving the contest, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com.