The Tornadoes are officially back in action! Talladega College men's and women's cross country opened their 2025 season Friday at Jacksonville State University's Foothills Invitational, and both squads showed plenty of fight against tough competition.

Freshman Mary Rodriguez wasted no time making her mark, leading the women's team with a time of 21:58.81 to finish 93rd out of 178 runners. Teammate Jewel Cross wasn't far behind, clocking 22:10.72 for 97th.

On the men's side, Quante Miltier-Ferguson set the tone for the Tornadoes, crossing the line in 18:27.33. Right behind him was Jason Ivey II, who battled through for a strong 20:32.34 finish.

Head Coach Stanley Gaitor was fired up about the opener:
"Couldn't have been more satisfied with the meet. We practice and work on executing our races and every athlete did just that. Coach Adderley is doing a great job preparing our distance squad for this season."

Assistant Coach Adderley shared the same energy:
"My guys and girls came into this meet eager to execute everything we had worked on at practice! We competed in practice and showed out this weekend! We're getting better day by day preparing for a long season. They're eager and optimistic and I love it!"

The Tornadoes won't have to wait long for their next test, they'll be back on the course September 12 at the JSU Meet at John Hunt Park.

Talladega Nation, get ready,  this cross country season is just heating up!