ANDERSON, S.C. – After finishing fourth and seventh, respectively, at the Furman Classic last weekend, the Anderson University women's and men's cross country teams will travel to Montevallo, Ala., for the Falcon Classic on Saturday.

In what is being billed as a preview of the NCAA Southeast Region Championships that will take place on the same course in early November, the men's 8K event will start at 8 a.m., followed by the women's 6K race at 8:45 a.m.

Montevallo was also the site of the 2014 Regional Championships that saw the AU men claim 16th place, while the women captured sixth place out of the 26 teams that competed.

The Trojan women, who were ranked fourth in the region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) earlier this week, claimed fourth at the Furman Classic last Saturday. Senior Olivia Gardner paced the Trojans with a sixth-place finish in Greenville, with junior Haylee Love claimed 12th place. Classmate Alex Dixon placed 21st, with sophomore Abigail Bozarth finishing 39th.

Freshman Breck Jones captured 40th place, while senior Grace Gerlock finished 42nd, with sophomore Martha Coleman just behind in 43rd. Sophomore Maddie Buddenberg took the 53rd slot, while freshman Morgan Bridges placed 54th and senior Mia Swiersz was 61st. Freshman Rebecca Faircloth notched crossed the line in 69th place, with senior Amber Worthy finishing 93rd. Freshman Emily Olson claimed 143rd.

As a sophomore in 2014, Gardner captured All-Region honors on the strength of a season-best time and 23rd place at Montevallo, while Bari Robinson finished 52nd and Amber Worthy claimed 59th. Swiersz finished in the 60th spot.

The AU men's team was ranked eighth in the region in the latest USTFCCCA rankings, which were released Tuesday. Junior Mason Hazel led the Trojan effort in Greenville last Saturday for the third consecutive time, while posting a seventh-place finish.

Senior Ben Boerma crossed the finish line in 35th place, with fellow senior Jesse Patrick claiming 49th place. Freshmen Luke Horne and Brooks Hovis finished 58th and 62nd, respectively.

Sophomore John Drummond crossed the finish line in 91st place, with senior Michael Burch claiming 100th and senior Ned Kennedy claiming 116th.

Hazel's 12th-place finish at Montevallo as a freshman in 2014 earned him All-Region accolades, while Michael Burch and Ben Boerma finished 122nd and 130th, respectively.