FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

SGC’s Jackson wins Cordele 5K

Daquan Jackson, the South Georgia College Tigers’ top cross country runner, won his first race of the season at the Crisp Regional Medical Center’s Rehab Road Race 5K in Cordele on Saturday.

Jackson, the 34th ranked runner in the conference, has the speed to be on the podium in just about any local 5K he enters, and has been very close to winning several races this season. On Labor Day, he finished third in Valdosta, and took second overall on Oct. 3 in Blackshear. The timing of the Cordele race was perfect; it came a week out from the conference championship and would be a good test of fitness for Jackson heading into the final meet of the season.

The race started at 2:30 in the afternoon, and featured a course largely exposed to the sun. However, cool temperatures coupled with a nice breeze took the sting out of what would usually be a very hot route. The course wasn’t too challenging, though it did feature a few long but gradual hills. The last few tenths of a mile were downhill, which made for a fast finish and gave athletes an opportunity to make up ground with the finish line in sight.

In Jackson’s case, however, the downhill was a non-factor as far as his competitors were concerned. Before the end of the first kilometer, it was obvious that barring some kind of accident or injury, the race was his to lose. Jackson jumped out to a very early lead, and though several competitors attempted to keep up with him, no one could hold his pace. He led the entire way and defeated the rest of the field easily. He won with a sub-18:00 time and took the overall title by almost two minutes.

“I had a good race. I was able to push the pace and stay ahead of the rest of the runners. It felt good to get a win for our team. I felt like I was representing South Georgia College, and I wanted to run my best,” said Jackson.

“Daquan is a talented runner and performs very well at the 5K distance. His biggest challenge has been taking his raw speed and translating it into equally strong 8K times. He’s getting better with each race, and he’s learning how to correctly pace himself over the longer distances. Winning this race will be a big confidence booster heading into the conference championship,” said SGC head coach Robert Preston Jr., who accompanied Jackson to the race.

The SGC cross country team finishes its inaugural season Saturday, Oct. 31 at Darton College in Albany.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.