Crimson Tide Heads to Memphis for Brooks Twilight Classic
9/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
This Week: Brooks Twilight Classic
The University of Alabama men's and women's cross country teams travel to Memphis, Tenn., for the Brooks Twilight Classic on Saturday, Sept. 5. Christian Brothers University will serve as host for the meet, which features both collegiate and high school races. The women will run a 5-kilometer race beginning at 9:20 p.m. (CT) with the men's 4-mile race set for a 10 p.m. (CT) start. A total of 30 women's teams are set to compete in the event while the men's race features 28 squads. Other SEC schools slated to attend this Saturday's meet include Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The Tide is coming off its season opener at the Samford Cross Country Opener, where both the men and women placed second. Robbie Farnham-Rose was the men's top finisher, taking fifth, while freshman Calli Coggins placed eighth in the women's race to lead Alabama.
In the Rankings
The Crimson Tide women's team earned nine points in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason coaches poll released Tuesday, Sept. 1, placing nine spots outside of the top 30. The women's squad was also voted second in the South Region in the USTFCCCA preseason Regional Cross Country Rankings and was voted third in the SEC Cross Country Coaches preseason poll. The men were slated sixth in the SEC Cross Country Coaches preseason poll.
23 Runners Set to Compete in Memphis
The Crimson Tide will travel 23 athletes, 13 men and 10 women, to Memphis this weekend. Competing for the men's squad will be all 11 runners who took part in the Samford Cross Country Opener - seniors Justin Ahalt and Eric Sivill; juniors Payton Ballard, Jeff Edmondson, Robbie Farnham-Rose, Evan Prizy, and Conner Thompson; and sophomores Andrew Bull, Garrett Bull, Connor Ferrentino, and Josh Short. Joining that group will be senior Parker Deuel and freshman Chris Buechner, who will be running in his first race as a member of the Crimson Tide. The Alabama women will see season debuts from a trio of seniors (Katelyn Greenleaf, Meropi Panagiotou, and Rebecca Stover); juniors Allison Gregg and Hannah Waggoner; sophomores Caroline Barlow, Emily Edwards, Veronica Lyle, and Alison Ringle; and redshirt freshman transfer Rachael Reddy.
Head Coach Dan Waters' Outlook
"It's a quick turnaround for the members of the men's team who ran on Tuesday. I thought that race went well, but we know this group can still perform better overall, so to get a chance to do that this weekend is great. For the women it's more about getting our experienced, veteran group out on the course for the first time this season. I know they are excited to compete again, and I'm looking forward to the hard work they put in over the summer paying off."
Up Next
The Tide has three weeks off before taking to the road for the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State University on Saturday, Sept. 26. The Tide men will run an eight-kilometer race while women will run six kilometers.
Following the Tide
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
