OAKVILLE, Ala. - The 2023 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference cross country championships were held on the Indian Mounds course on Friday, and the Talladega College women came home home with a second place finish, just 19 points shy of the title in their return to the GCAC

The Tornadoes covered the 6,000-meter course in a team total time of 2:27:43.22 which averaged out to a time of 29:32.65 for each of the five scored runners.

The title was won by Dillard University (La.) with a team score of 40 points, and the Tornadoes of Talladega finished in second at 59 points. Philander Smith College (Ark.) (66 pts), Wiley College (Texas) (91 pts), and Tougaloo College (Miss.) (99 pts) rounded out the top-five teams in the event.

Freshman Jewel Cross pased 'Dega in the event, as she posted a second place finish with a time of 26:23.71, and she was followed to the line in third by her teammate and fellow freshman Makayla Bratcher (27:14.82). Dhenecia Pinnock was the third 'Dega runner to finish, as she scored 14th (29:37.94) and Amia Montgomery also scored in the top-15 for the Tornadoes with a time of 29:39.42. The final Talladega runner to score in the event was Dhae'nia Pinnock who scored in 25th in 34:47.33.

Dajanae Shaw (44:29.30) and Sydney Gray (44:31.39) also finished the event for Talladega.

Cross and Bratcher placed highly enough to earn All-GCAC honors. The duo was running on a 6,000-meter course for the first time this season, as were the rest of the Tornadoes, and their times ranked as personal bests at the collegiate level as a result. They also put themselves in position to qualify for the NAIA National Championships. The top four individual finishers not on the winning team can qualify for the Championships, provided they finish in the top-15 in the qualifying event.

NAIA Cross Country Championship qualifiers will be announced in the coming weeks. For details on the championship, visit naia.org.