Alabama
Joe Piane Invitational
Alabama Cross Country’s No. 10 Women and No. 25 Men Both Take Third at Joe Piane Invitational
9/30/2022 3:48:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide men were led by Victor Kiprop’s win in the individual race, while the women were paced by Mercy Chelangat’s second-place finish in the individual race
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – In a field packed with ranked teams, the Alabama cross country men and women both finished third at the Joe Piane Invitational, that was held in South Bend, Ind., Friday morning.
The No. 25-ranked Crimson Tide men finished third with 126 points behind a trio of top-six individual finishes, including Victor Kiprop (23:16.5) getting the win, Eliud Kipsang (23:19.9) taking third and Hillary Cheruiyot (23:24.9) finishing sixth over the five-mile course.
In a race that included the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 8 team in the country, as well as the No. 10-ranked Crimson Tide, the Alabama women finished third with 70 points, just two points out of second. Mercy Chelangat (16:02.1) took second and Hilda Olemomoi (16:04.9) finished third to pace the UA women over the 5,000-meter course.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"Overall, it was a very successful day for both teams. Our women went toe-to-toe with arguably the best two teams in the country and we were right there. In a very tough and deep field, our ladies raced with heart and soul all the way. To have this kind of meet against this kind of competition is a big step forward for us. On the men's side of the meet, our top-three guys did really well against a great field. We're proud of Victor for getting the win and for Eliud and Hillary for racing tough. The rest of our guys followed through on what was an aggressive race plan. We gained some invaluable experience and put up breakthrough performances up and down the line, giving us our best finish ever at this meet. There's still a lot of racing left to do, but we know what we need to do to be successful at the end of the season."
The Crimson Tide at the Joe Piane Invitational
- In a race that included four of the nation's top-10 teams, the Alabama women took third with 70 points, just two points out of second
- In her first race of the season, Mercy Chelangat took second place, while Hilda Olemomoi was third in her second race wearing the crimson and white of Alabama
- Amaris Tyynismaa and Flomena Asekol were 15th and 18th, respectively, in their first races of the season
- Elka Machan took 32nd place to round out the Crimson Tide's scoring five
- In a race that featured five ranked teams among the top-10 finishers, the UA men took third place with 126 points
- Victor Kiprop won his second race in a row after also taking top honors at the North Alabama Showcase
- In addition to Kiprop, Eliud Kipsang was third and Hillary Cheruiyot was sixth to give the UA men three in the top six
- Jacob Wiggers finished 54th and Jacob Harris was 62nd to round out the Alabama men's scoring five
- The women's team also ran four individuals in the Women's Open 5,000 meters, with Jami Reed leading the way in ninth place
- The men ran a trio of individuals in the Men's Open 5-mile race, with Arthur Graham pacing the Tide with a 15th-place finish
Up Next for the Crimson Tide
- After starting the season with a trio of road meets, Alabama hosts the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Friday, October 14
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Blue Race 5,000-meters Women's Team Top 10
1. No. 1 NC State 55
2. No. 3 New Mexico 68
3. No. 10 Alabama 70
4. No. 8 Notre Dame 146
5. RV Florida State 175
6. RV Liberty 187
7. RV Toledo 213
8. No. 27 Oregon State
9. Boise State 258
10. Bradley 280
Alabama Finishers
2. Mercy Chelangat 16:02.1
3. Hilda Olemomoi 16:04.9
15. Amaris Tyynismaa 16:23.6
18. Flomena Asekol 16:28.4
32. Elka Machan 16:46.4
66. Sam McDonnell 17:13.7
73. Lilly Walters 17:19.7
Alabama in the Women's Open 5,000 Meters
9. Jami Reed 17:33.7
31. Macy Schelp 18:16.7
46. Keaton Morrison 18:37.9
49. Kerri Walsh 18:42.9
Blue Race 5-mile Men's Team Top 10
1. No. 14 Notre Dame 81
2. RV Tennessee 104
3. No. 25 Alabama 126
4. No. 22 Montana State 144
5. Charlotte 180
6. No. 24 Butler 180
7. Cal Poly 192
8. No. 27 Michigan 217
9. RV NC State 218
10. Boise State 265
Alabama Finishers
1. Victor Kiprop 23:16.5
3. Eliud Kipsang 23:19.9
6. Hillary Cheruiyot 23:24.9
54. Jacob Wiggers 24:14.6
62. Jacob Harris 24:20.2
74. Brady Grant 24:29.0
134. Brady Barton 25:03.1
147. Will Pinson 25:12.9
162. Collin Jones 25:36.9
Alabama in the Men's Open 5 Mile
15. Arthur Graham 24:53.2
35. Rich Saenz 25:18.3
41. Carter Waters 25:22.7
Players Mentioned
