The Men's and Women's cross-country teams travelled to Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for Saturday morning's NCAA South Regional meet. The Lady Vols finished third, leaving them just shy of earning an automatic bid to the NCAA meet given to the top two finishing teams. 

Tennessee finished with 102 points behind Florida and Florida State who earned 33 and 54 points, respectively.

The team was lead by senior Jackie Areson who has been the team's number one runner throughout 2009. Areson placed third out of 170 competitors earning All-South Region honors  and an automatic bid to the NCAA meet.

"I felt like it was another solid race. Not fantastic but good. I just need to find another gear at NCAA's.  I really want to be an All-American, so I'm going for top 40 or as high as I can get," Areson said. 

Senior Katie Van Horn (10th place) and junior Brittany Sheffey (20th place) also earned spots on the All-South Region team by finishing 10th and 20^threspectively.  Van Horn will join Jackie at NCAAs after getting an at-large invitation. 

Rounding out the top five for the Lady Vols were sophomore Chanelle Price who finished 32^nd and senior Phoebe Wright who finished 46th.

On the Men's side, the Vol's finished sixth overall out of 26 competing teams.

Senior Michael Spooner earned All-Region accolades after finishing first for the team and 17^th out of 173 runners. 

The top five was completed by freshman Leoule Degfae (36^th), junior Peter Sigilai (37^th), senior Mike Brodsky (39th) and sophomore Chris Brodary (55^th). 

Areson and Van Horn will travel to the NCAA Championships held on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind.