OXFORD, Ala.- The University of West Georgia cross country teams opened the 2026 season Friday morning at the Foothills Invitational at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama, battling hot and humid conditions in their first meet of the season.

Despite temperatures reaching 88 degrees early in the morning, the Wolves showed plenty of grit in their season opening races.

"I was pleased that the teams ran tough and I put a high premium on grit, so that encourages me and I look forward to seeing better times as the year goes on," UWG Head Coach Ryan Bailey said.

On the men's side, sophomore Alex Njoroge led the way for the Wolves, finishing 16th overall with a personal-best time of 15:46.1 as UWG placed sixth as a team. Njoroge's performance moved him into fifth place all-time in UWG history in the 5K while putting him ahead of runners from Auburn, Troy, Jacksonville State and Samford.

"Alex finished in the top 20 and recorded a personal best today, and I was very proud of how he performed today," Bailey said.

Noah Anderson followed Njoroge across the finish line, clocking a 16:00.4 to narrowly miss a top-25 finish. Solomon Jones rounded out the Wolves' top three with a personal-best 16:02.3.

Daniel Murtagh added another personal best for UWG, finishing in 17:06.5 in the season opener.

The Wolves also featured three freshmen making their collegiate debuts in Oxford. Jackson Harrell led the group with a 17:11.2, followed by Braeden Kerrane at 18:28.0 and Cash Driggers rounded out the group at 19:03.2.

On the women's side, Reatta Danhof was the first Wolf to cross the finish line, posting a 19:07.2 as UWG finished 12th as a team. Linda Rivero followed with a 20:35.3, while Haley Hartman rounded out the Wolves' top three with a 21:34.6.

Kezia Donaldson opened her season with a personal-best time of 22:24.4, while freshman twin sisters Jade and Suri Lawrence made their collegiate debuts. Jade crossed the finish line in 22:28.0, followed closely by Suri at 22:45.7.

Assistant Coach Cameron Isenhour, competing in his first meet as a Division I assistant coach at UWG, was impressed with the team's effort despite the difficult conditions.

"I was excited for my first meet as a Division I assistant coach at West Georgia, and I was proud of them despite the heat and humidity," Isenhour said.

The Wolves will return to action on September 18, when UWG travels to Huntsville, Alabama, for another meet hosted by Jacksonville State at John Hunt Park.

UWG fans can stay connected with cross country throughout the season by following @uwgxctf on Instagram and @UWGTrack on X.