MACON, Ga. – The Tuskegee men's and women's cross country teams had strong showings at the 2024 Julius Johnson Invitational, hosted by Mercer, on Saturday morning at the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course.
 
The meet included 14 teams on both sides, including Mercer, Albany State, Brewton-Parker, Clark Atlanta, Clayton State, Florida Gateway College, Fort Valley State, Georgia College, Georgia Military College, Georgia Southwestern, Georgia State, Oxford College, and a club program.
 
On the women's side, the Golden Tigers finished fifth overall with a team score of 148, tying with Albany State. Junior Anaya Martin led the women's team for the second straight meet of the year, finishing in 33rd place with a time of 20:34.94. Close behind her was Anitria Sangster, who crossed the line in 21:15.89, followed by Genesis Harrell with a time of 21:31.94.
 
Akierah Walker rounded out the top-50 performances with a strong finish at 21:33.62, while Shalyah Tresvant (22:44.61) and Jurni Janac (23:45.60) finished 55th and 62nd respectively.
 
Mercer University claimed the top spot for the women's team competition, finishing with a dominant score of 15 points and an average time of 18:05.43?.
 
The men's team finished eighth overall with a team score of 239 points. Dennis Kibet led the Golden Tigers with a time of 28:31.85, earning 48th place overall. He was followed closely by Carl Richards, who posted a time of 29:13.40, and Jayden Davidson, who finished in 29:19.23.
 
Meanwhile, Austin Stokes was the next finisher at 30:08.03, while Aiden Bass rounded out the top 75 with a time of 32:34.26. Despite facing strong competition, the men's team continued to show improvement as they navigate the season.
 
The top three teams in the men's race were Mercer, Georgia College, and Clayton State, with Mercer taking first place behind an average time of 24:34.14.
 
Up Next
Both teams will continue to build on these performances as they prepare for the Hawk Invitational, hosted by Huntingdon on Friday, September 27. The meet will be held at the Greenbriar XC Course in Grady, Ala.
 
Follow the Golden Tigers
For complete coverage of Tuskegee University athletics, follow on social media at @MyTUAthletics (Twitter/Instagram), @GoldenTigerSports on Facebook, and visit the official home of Tuskegee University athletics at www.goldentigersports.com.