HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's and women's cross country teams will begin the 2026 season with the Battle for New Orleans at Lake Oaks Park Friday.
The women's 4K race will kick off at 5:15 p.m. The men's 5k competition will begin shortly after, at 5:45 p.m. Awards at the 2026 Battle for New Orleans will take place at 7 p.m.
Live scoring for Friday's season opener will be available on the cross country schedule page at
www.LionSports.net.
After competing at the NCAA Division I South Central Region Cross Country Championships in 2025,
Ava Pitarro is entering her senior season in 2026. The Walker, La. native posted personal-best times in 2025, including a 23:17.3 time in the 6-kilometer run at the Southland Conference Cross Country Championships. At 2025's Battle for New Orleans, Pitarro notched a personal-best time of 15:12.4 in the 4-kilometer run.
Tanner Salsman is coming off the strongest year of his collegiate career in 2025. As a sophomore, Salsman notched four personal-best marks, ending the year with a 34:56.5 time in the 10-kilometer run at the South-Central Region Championships. Salsman's 5-kilometer mark of 16:35.8 from the 2025 Battle for New Orleans remains a personal-best time. In the four-mile run at the Nicholls XC Invitational in 2025, Salsman placed ninth with a career-best 21:43.8 mark.
Following the Battle for New Orleans, the Lions will travel to Mobile, Ala., for the Azalea City Classic, hosted by South Alabama at Langan Park on Saturday, Sept. 26.
PODIUM CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the track and field program are encouraged to join the Podium Club. Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners. All membership fees and donations to Podium Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern track and field program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at
laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting
www.LionUp.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Track and Field, follow @LionUpTrack on X and Instagram.
