Alabama Cross Country Teams Looking to Build on Opening Week Performance
9/7/2016 2:37:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama men's and women's cross country teams travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. for the Powerade Chattanooga Invitational on Friday, Sept. 9. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga will serve as host for the meet. The women will run a two-mile race beginning at 4:45 p.m. (CT) with the men's 5k race to follow. A total of seven men's and eight women's teams are set to compete in the event.
In the Rankings
The Crimson Tide women's team is No. 5 and the men's squad is No. 7 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region preseason rankings released August 30. The first regular season rankings will be announced on Sept. 13.
19 Runners Set to Compete in Memphis
The Crimson Tide will travel 19 athletes - 11 men and eight women - to Chattanooga on Friday. Competing for the men's squad will be seniors Robbie Farnham-Rose, Antibahs Kosgei, Evan Prizy and Conner Thompson; juniors Andrew Bull, Garrett Bull and Josh Short; sophomore Clay Austell and freshmen James Brinyark, Patrick Grant and Oliver Rigg. The Alabama women will run juniors Emily Edwards, Jessica Gray, Veronica Lyle and Alison Ringle; sophomores Ebie Douglas and Brianna Koshy and freshmen Caroline Brooks and Brittany Tolson.
Kosgei Earns SEC Men's Runner of the Week Honors
Alabama senior Antibahs Kosgei was named the Southeastern Conference Men's Runner of the Week for his performance at the season-opening Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic. The 2015 SEC and South Region Runner of the Year, Kosgei raced to the men's four-mile title, crossing the finish line in 19:11.13. Kosgei's victory helped Alabama to a second-place finish. This is the second year in a row that Kosgei has earned Runner of the Week honors for his performance in the Twilight Classic. He won the 2015 meet in a time of 19:49.75.
Waggoner and Yanek Top SEC Women's 5K List
Alabama's Hannah Waggoner posted the top 5K time of any SEC runner on the opening weekend of competition. Waggoner finished second – and was the top collegiate finisher – at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic in a personal-best time of 17:17.72. Freshman McKenzie Yanek finished ninth in the meet in 17:43.43 to rank second on the SEC 5k list after the first weekend.
Head Coach Dan Waters' Outlook
"I thought we got off to a good start last weekend. I was pleased with the performances of our veterans and our freshmen as well. We have several athletes who will be running for the first time this season on Friday and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform."
Up Next
The Tide will be off the next two weekends before traveling to South Bend, Ind. to participate in the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on Sept. 30. The meet will feature a number of top teams from around the country competing in a five mile men's race and a 5k women's race.
Players Mentioned
