TALLAHASSE, Florida- Gonzaga Cross Country alumnus Yacine Guermali will be the first Zag to ever run in the World Cross Country Championship when he competes on Saturday.

Yacine Guermali will be representing the Philippines when he takes on the 10k in Tallahassee. Guermali is the sole representative of the Philippines entered for the race.

 Guermali ran Cross Country for the Zags from 2018 to 2022. He holds the second fastest time in program history in both the 8k and the 10k, running respective times of 23:07.5 and 28:28.7 to put his name in GU history books.

He also holds the Indoor Track and Field program record in the 5000 meters, having ran a time of 13:33.99 in his final season with the Zags. Additionally, Guermali holds the Outdoor Track and Field school record in the 1500 meters, holding a time of 3:42.96. Guermali's success in every form of distance running was on display throughout his time at Gonzaga, as he qualified for the national semifinals of the 5000 meters twice and was a 2022 NCAA First Team All-West selection.

Last month Guermali won silver medals in the Southeast Asian Games, taking silver medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters while representing the Philippines on the international stage again.

The Men's 10k World Cross Country Championship will be broadcast nationally on CNBC on Saturday. The race is currently slated to start at 9:20 am Pacific Time.