Wolf Pack cross country teams take third place at SSAC Championship

CLINTON, Miss. — The women of Loyola University New Orleans finished third Friday at the Southern States Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships — their highest finish ever in this league, which they joined in 2010.
 

Loyola also finished third in men's team scoring. 
 

The Wolf Pack women scored 71 points and finished ahead of three schools they trailed at the 2025 meet: Blue Mountain, Dalton State and Mobile. Loyola's top three finishers were freshmen; Genevieve Blanc ran 6,000 meters in 24 minutes, 14.8 seconds to finish 10th, Ashlynn Yonge was 11th in a personal-best 24:25.0, and Noah Watson was 15th in 24:47.
 

"I'm so proud of our women," seventh-year Loyola head coach Geoff Masanet said. "Getting third place out of 10 teams and being closer to first and second place than to fourth place makes a statement on how much the team has improved from years past. And our top five runners all return for next season."
 

The Wolf Pack men produced three top-10 individuals and scored 59 points. Senior Jacob Kennedy ran 8,000 meters in 25:30.1 and placed sixth, senior Jace Luckoski was eighth in 25:40.5, and sophomore Dylan Brown was ninth in 25:45.4.
 

Kennedy and Luckoski earned bids to compete at NAIA nationals Nov. 20 at Vancouver, Wash. The times of Kennedy, Luckoski and Brown are Loyola's fastest at an SSAC meet. The previous best was Hayden Ricca's 25:45.6 in 2019.
 

"Our men ran outstanding," Masanet said.
 

Also competing for the Loyola women were Meera Hijazi, 17th in 24:48.9; Sela Myers, 18th in a personal-best 24:57.2; Sophia Freeze, 31st in a season-best 26:11.2; Kinslie Badon, 34th in 26:18.0; Vivian Bravo, 41st in 27:10.8; and Caitlyn Summers, 55th in 29:17.2.
 

"Sela Myers improved from 41st at conference last year to 18th this year," Masanet said. "That's incredible improvement."
 

Also competing for the Loyola men were Cole Savoy, 17th in a personal-best 26:38.6; Aubrey Gibson, 19th in a personal-best 26:45.6; Drake Breland, 20th in a season-best 27:03.4; Adam Merkle, 22nd in 27:42.6; Alastair Casler, 31st in 28:40.4; and Jacob Mullis, 32nd in 28:40.8.
 

Tennessee Southern, No. 7 in the NAIA coaches poll, won the men's team title with 32 points, and Mobile freshman Cooper Osmus won the 8K in 24:50.7. William Carey scored 41 points and won its third consecutive SSAC women's title, and Tennessee Southern junior Vera Maisaje won the 6K in 22:28.8.
 

"This was a really fun trip," Masanet said. "The kids have such good camaraderie right now."
 

Pack Facts

• The last time Loyola's women placed third at conference was in 2009 in their final season in the Gulf Coast Athletic. It's the program's highest league finish since first place in the GCAC in 2004.

• This was the sixth time in nine years that Loyola's men placed third or higher in conference.

• It's the first time since 2009 that both Loyola cross country teams placed third or higher in conference.

• Loyola will join NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference for the 2027-28 academic year. 
 

Men's SSAC All-Conference Awards

Runner of the Year: Cooper Osmus, Mobile
Coach of the Year: Justin Watson, UT Southern
Newcomer of the Year: Spencer Head, UT Southern
Freshman of the Year: Cooper Osmus, Mobile
Sportsmanship Award: Thomas

First-Team All-Conference
Cooper Osmus, Mobile
Spencer Head, UT Southern
Frank Kipruto, UT Southern
Nathan Jones, Mobile
Bruno Villazon, UT Southern
Jacob Kennedy, Loyola
Martin Van Hamme, UT Southern
 

Second-Team All-Conference
Jace Luckoski, Loyola
Dylan Brown, Loyola
Jonah Barnhardt, Blue Mountain
William Givens, Mobile
Joe Stevens, Mobile
Luke Skinner, William Carey
Peter Eckhoff, Mobile
Amon Rotich, UT Southern
 

All-Freshman Team
Cooper Osmus, Mobile
Nathan Jones, Mobile
Davide Ambruschi, UT Southern
Mark Boatwright, Mobile
Mattia Guidi, UT Southern
 

Athletic Solutions All-Academic Team
Dylan Fletcher, Brewton-Parker Christian
Jonah Galli, Brewton-Parker Christian
Stephen Sirmans, Brewton-Parker Christian
Luca Neumeister, UT Southern
Amon Rotich, UT Southern
Cameron Stovall, UT Southern
Martin Van Hamme, UT Southern
Jaheene Bell, Xavier
Ovane Williams, Xavier
Cole Charles, Faulkner
Creed Spivey, Faulkner
Jonah Barnhardt, Blue Mountain
Lelan Boulden, Blue Mountain
JT Draper, Blue Mountain
Lukas Dykes, Blue Mountain
Braxton Enzor, Blue Mountain
Erick Flores, Blue Mountain
Nelson Lopez, Thomas
Fabian Jeune, Thomas
Jeremiah Speights, Thomas
Jace Luckoski, Loyola
Jacob Mullis, Loyola
Cole Savoy, Loyola
Joseph Medina, Loyola
Mason Mack, Loyola
Carter Dural, Loyola
Andrew Thames, Mobile
Johnathan Turner, Mobile
Peter Eckhoff, Mobile
William Givens, Mobile
Joseph Stevens, Mobile
Nate Beard, William Carey
Julius Giller, William Carey
Matthew McGuire, William Carey
Niklas Moilanen, William Carey
Luke Skinner, William Carey
 

Champions of Character Team
Gambler Dollar, ABAC
Javien Butts, Andrew
Braxton Enzor, Blue Mountain
Noah Mordarski, Brewton-Parker
Creed Spivey, Faulkner
Aubrey Gibson, Loyola
Joe Stevens, Mobile
Fabian Jeune, Thomas
Spencer Head, UT Southern
Matthew McGuire, William Carey
Benjamin Ford, Xavier

Women's SSAC All-Conference Awards

Runner of the Year: Vera Maisaje, UT Southern
Coach of the Year: Josh Moore, William Carey
Newcomer of the Year: Vera Maisaje, UT Southern
Freshman of the Year: Uxue Armas Diaz, UT Southern
Sportsmanship Award: Dalton State
 

First-Team All-Conference
Vera Maisaje, UT Southern
Sydney Moudy, William Carey
Kristina Stojanovic, William Carey
Alyssa Andrea, UT Southern
Kylie Gray, Dalton State
Claire Atkins, Mobile
Maria Tirado, William Carey
 

Second-Team All-Conference
Ella Shepherd, Blue Mountain
Uxue Armas Diaz, UT Southern
Genevieve Blanc, Loyola
Ashlynn Yonge, Loyola
Kaedyn Wilson, Blue Mountain
Virginia Tirado, William Carey
Lou-Anne Bernard, UT Southern
Noah Watson, Loyola
 

All-Freshman Team
Uxue Armas Diaz, UT Southern
Genevieve Blanc, Loyola
Ashlynn Yonge, Loyola
Noah Watson, Loyola
Lacy Strength, Faulkner
 

Athletic Solutions All-Academic Team
Ali Lewis, ABAC
Rebeca Lopez, ABAC
Mileyclaire Miley, ABAC
Kate Watson, ABAC
Reese Bryant, Brewton-Parker Christian
Lauren Paul, Blue Mountain
Alyssa Andrea, UT Southern
Lou-Anne Bernard, UT Southern
Addison Moore, UT Southern
Amelia Worsley, UT Southern
Charieon Doxley, Xavier
Leojai Hibbert, Xavier
Chris-Ann Edwards, Xavier
Sarah Lorimor, Faulkner
Saryah Martin, Faulkner
Avery Rogers, Faulkner
Allison Batts, Dalton State
Kate Girard, Dalton State
Kylie Gray, Dalton State
Hayleigh Carriveau, Dalton State
Macy Bain, Blue Mountain
Ruthie Hutchinson, Blue Mountain
Jorja Kate Mooneyhan, Blue Mountain
Ella Shepherd, Blue Mountain
Kaedyn Wilson, Blue Mountain
Meera Hijazi, Loyola
Vivian Bravo, Loyola
Sela Myers, Loyola
Andrea Bardales, Loyola
Sarah Haas, Loyola
Ella Downing, Mobile
Claire Atkins, Mobile
Taylor Baker, Mobile
Brinley Hoda, Mobile
Kaylea Holmes, Mobile
Zandrea Ofstedahi, Mobile
Alison Sota, Mobile
Sydney Moudy, William Carey
Macy Robertson, William Carey
Virginia Tirado, William Carey
Hannah Mitchell, William Carey
Kristina Stojanovic, William Carey
Maria Tirado, William Carey
 

Champions of Character Team
Mileyclaire Miley, ABAC
Khadija Tall, Andrew
Ella Shepherd, Blue Mountain
Bailey Edge, Brewton-Parker
Kylie Gray, Dalton State
Avery Rogers, Faulkner
Vivian Bravo, Loyola
Kaylea Holmes, Mobile
Kennedy Jennings, Thomas
Alyssa Andrea, UT Southern
Macy Robertson, William Carey
Jayda Love, Xavier
 

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