CLINTON, Miss. – The University of Tennessee Southern women's cross country team capped another outstanding season Friday morning with a runner-up finish at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship, marking the second consecutive year the Firehawks have finished second in the conference standings.
Led by an individual championship from Vera Maisaje, UT Southern totaled 49 points to finish behind only William Carey (41 points) and ahead of Loyola New Orleans (71 points), Mobile (101 points), and Blue Mountain Christian (118 points).
Maisaje continued her remarkable junior campaign by capturing the SSAC Individual Championship, covering the 6K course in 22:28.8. The Lagos, Nigeria native finished more than 11 seconds ahead of the runner-up and added another milestone to a season already filled with school records, individual victories, national recognition, and multiple conference runner of the week honors.
The Firehawks received another outstanding performance from senior Alyssa Andrea, who earned All-Conference honors with a fourth-place finish in 23:12.0. Andrea's strong effort gave UT Southern two runners among the top four finishers in the conference.
Freshman Uxue Armas Diaz continued her impressive rookie season by placing ninth overall in 24:06.6, giving the Firehawks three runners inside the top 10.
Junior Lou-Anne Bernard added a 14th-place finish in 24:34.0, while senior Amelia Worsley rounded out the scoring five with a 21st-place performance in 25:11.8.
The Firehawks showcased their depth throughout the lineup, with freshman Courtney Dover finishing 29th and junior Lauren Hallmark placing 30th overall. Senior Claire Deaton, competing in her final conference championship, crossed the line 38th, while junior Addi Moore finished 39th.
UT Southern's balanced performance featured four runners among the top 14 finishers and six runners among the top 30, helping the Firehawks secure another conference runner-up trophy against a competitive SSAC field.
The result continues a historic stretch for the program, which has consistently challenged the conference's top teams while earning national recognition throughout the season. Behind Maisaje's conference title and another strong team showing, the Firehawks once again established themselves among the SSAC's elite programs.
Team Standings
- William Carey – 41
- UT Southern – 49
- Loyola New Orleans – 71
- Mobile – 101
- Blue Mountain Christian – 118
- Dalton State – 151
- Faulkner – 184
- Xavier Louisiana – 234
- Brewton-Parker – 246
- ABAC – 251
UT Southern Results
With the conference championships complete, the Firehawks now await qualification and selection information for the NAIA National Championships as they continue one of the most successful seasons in program history.
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