The women’s cross country team won the Gulf Coast Athletics Conference championship for the second time in three years on Saturday.

Coach Al Seither was named GCAC Coach of the Year for the women.

“We did it the hard way,” Seither said, in reference to the loss of elementary education junior Jean Cassandra for the meet.

Sociology junior Natalie Sargent led the Wolfpack with a second-place finish in a time of 20 minutes and 58.4 seconds.

Communications sophomore Natalie Miller and general studies sophomore Sara Miles St. Clair were the next two to finish. Miller ran a time of 21:00.8, and St. Clair finished in 21:03.1.

Psychology sophomore Kim Kujanek finished sixth in a time of 21:22.9 to join Sargent, Miller, and St. Clair on the All-GCAC team.

Loyola defeated Xavier 29-30.

The men’s team, led by history senior Mike Gulotta’s fourth-place effort, finished third behind Xavier and champion Mobile.

“I’d rather be third as a team than nothing,” Seither said about the men running as a complete team for the first time.

Gulotta ran a time of 28:20.7.

“It was a tough race,” he said. “I thought they (the two runners between him and the eventual champion, Musa Kimeli of Mobile) would fade, but they never did.”

Bouckaert improved over last week to finish second on the team for the first time.

“I think I can do better in two weeks,” he said.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Region XIII Championships on Nov. 8 in Panthersville, Ga. There they will attempt to qualify for nationals.

Seither was content with the men’s finish.

“I can’t complain at all,” he said. “(Mike) will never be satisfied – that’s the kind of person he is.”

Seither discounted complaints about Mobile’s age and experience: “If I could get good older runners to join [Loyola’s] team, I would do that too.”