Talladega duo, Dillard's Davison take Week 6 HBCUAC Women's Cross Country Honors

October 7, 2025

NEW ORLEANS - October 7, 2025 - Talladega women's cross country athlete Jewel Cross wins Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Runner of the Week. Aliana Taylor garners Newcomer of the Week. Dillard University's Karlise Davison takes Freshman of the Week. The women were honored for their performance between September 29-October 5, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Cross, a Preseason All-HBCUAC selection, finished the Berry College Invitational six-kilometer race in 26:39.50. She finished 18th out of 62 runners. Her time leads the HBCUAC. This is her second weekly honor.

Davison completed the Belhaven Invitational 6K race in 28:12.5 on Saturday. She primarily ran against National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes, as well as HBCUAC schools Tougaloo College and Wiley University. This is her fifth weekly honor.

Taylor ran 32:28 at the Berry Invitational. Her time was better than 21 athletes. This is her second weekly honor.

Additional women's cross country weekly nominees: Destiny Henry (Fisk), Jariah Jackson-Simon (Huston-Tillotson), Herlancia Miller (Tougaloo), Kenetta Sterling (Huston-Tillotson)

2025 HBCUAC Women's Cross Country Runners of the Week

Date	Runner	Freshman	Newcomer
Aug. 25-31	Karlise Davison, Dillard	Karlise Davison, Dillard	N/A
Sept. 1-7	Herlancia Miller, Tougaloo	Samarea Womack, Wiley	N/A
Sept. 8-14	Mary Rodriguez, Talladega	Mary Rodriguez, Talladega	N/A
Sept. 15-21	Jewel Cross, Talladega	Karlise Davison, Dillard	Aliana Taylor, Talladega
Sept. 22-28	Karlise Davison, Dillard	Nhaydia Flowers, Dillard	N/A
Sept. 29-Oct. 5	Jewel Cross, Talladega	Karlise Davison, Dillard	Aliana Taylor, Talladega

About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.