By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

On a misty Friday morning in Auburn, former LaGrange Granger Jonathan Pelham raced to a 42nd-place finish in the SEC cross-country championships.

Pelham posted a time of 24 minutes, five seconds on the eight-kilometer course, and he had the third-best time out of Georgia’s 10 runners.

It was more than a one-minute improvement from Pelham’s time at last year’s SEC meet when he finished 75th.

Michael Hans (23:44) led Georgia with a 26th-place finish, Sam Bowers (23:46) was 28th, and Pelham was next in 42nd place.

Next up for the Bulldogs is the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 9.

If Georgia does well enough there, it will qualify for the NCAA championships on Nov. 17 in Madison, Wis.

Pelham was red-shirted in 2015, and his 2016 season was highlighted by a 21st-place finish at the Georgia Cross Country Invitational.

Last year, Pelham had a second-place finish at the Gene Mullin Invitational, and he was ninth at a race at Western Carolina.

Pelham had a time of 25:47 at last year’s SEC meet.

Pelham is also a track standout at Georgia , and he specializes in the steeplechase.

At the SEC outdoor championships earlier this year, Pelham set a personal record of nine minute, 11 seconds in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Pelham had personal records in the 1,500-meter steeplechase and the 5,000-meter steeplechase.

Pelham had a second-place finish in the 1,500 at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial.