Alabama
SEC Championships
Victor Kiprop Defends Individual Title as Alabama Claims Pair of Top-Four Team Finishes at SEC Cross Country Championships
10/27/2023 1:36:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
In addition to Kiprop’s title, Hillary Cheruiyot finished third on the men’s side, while Doris Lemngole and Hilda Olemomoi finished second and third, respectively, in the women’s race
COLUMBIA, S.C. –  For the second consecutive season, Victor Kiprop claimed the individual crown in the men's 8K race at the Southeastern Conference Championships Friday morning. The Iten, Kenya, native clocked 22:23.4, a good eight seconds ahead of the second-place finisher to help propel the men's squad to a second-place team finish.
Following Kiprop was teammate Hillary Cheruiyot who took third (22:39.4), while Eliud Kipsang (seventh | 23:11.0) was the third UA runner to finish in the top seven. The No. 22-ranked Crimson Tide men used only 57 points to take the second-place finish, as all five scoring runners for Alabama finished in the top 25.
On the women's side, Alabama distance duo Doris Lemngole (19:11.2) and Hilda Olemomoi (19:23.5) finished second and third, respectively, across the 6K course. The No. 13 UA women concluded the conference meet with an 84-point, fourth-place finish as Joy Gill (20:08.4) joined Olemomoi and Lemngole as a top-15 finisher for the Tide.
The individual feats mark the second-straight meet where the Crimson Tide turned in a pair of top-three finishes in both races.
Head Coach Dan Waters Said
"First, I want to thank South Carolina for a doing a great job hosting this meet; we are very appreciative of all the efforts that were put in throughout the week. I'm super proud of the individual title for Victor. Victor has just proven to be one of the best cross country guys in the country, and for him to run as fast as he did on this measured 8K course, with this kind of heat, is really impressive. I thought Hillary also did a phenomenal job. The men did a tremendous finishing second. From one to 10, I'm super proud of the effort by the men's program, and what they were able to accomplish today. Arkansas has a great squad and congrats to them [on winning the men's team title].
"On the women's side, that was phenomenal runs by both Hilda and Doris – they really put it out there today. I was really happy with Joy – I thought she ran with a lot of courage and heart, and gave it all she had – as did our whole women's program. The NCAA Regional Championships is going to be vitally important for both teams as we aim to finish as high as we possibly can. We'll get ready for some recovery, some relaxation and then get back after it on Monday. Parker Valby is a great athlete, so congrats to both her and the Florida team [on winning the women's team title].
Additional Comments from Head Coach Dan Waters
"The Tide faithful really showed up today. We had a lot of friends, families and fans out here supporting us which was very nice to see. So, a big thanks to all the people that made such a big effort to get out here and cheer us on."
Crimson Tide Top Finishes
- Victor Kiprop (first), Hillary Cheruiyot (third) and Eliud Kipsang (seventh) all secured top-seven finishes to help propel the Tide to second place, overall
- Jacob Harris (23rd) and Hudson Hurst (25th) rounded out Alabama's scoring five
- Doris Lemngole (second), Hilda Olemomoi (third) and Joy Gill (15th) all secured top-15 finishes for the UA women to claim fourth place, overall
- Elka Machan (28th) and McKenzie Daniel (36th) rounded out the Tide's scoring five
Up Next for the Crimson Tide
- Alabama will take a week off before traveling to Gainesville, Fla., for the NCAA Regional Championships on Nov. 10
Alabama Men – Individual Results | 8K
1. Victor Kiprop | 22:23.4
3. Hillary Cheruiyot | 22:39.4
7. Eliud Kipsang | 23:11.0
23. Jacob Harris | 23:58.6
25. Hudson Hurst | 24:03.9
27. Kai Connor | 24:09.3
31. Arthur Graham | 24:14.9
46. Jackson Harris | 24:46.2
90. Carson Burian | 25:50.9
101. Will Pinson | 26:37.7
Alabama Women – Individual Results | 6K
2. Doris Lemngole | 19:11.2
3. Hilda Olemomoi | 19:23.5
15. Joy Gill | 20:08.4
28. Elka Machan | 20:51.9
36. McKenzie Daniel | 21:03.7
57. Lilly Walters | 21:35.5
81. Keaton Morrison | 21:59.7
98. Leah Kleekamp | 22:20.3
103. Autumn Headrick | 22:23.3
107. Farrah Frith | 22:28.8
120. Macy Schelp | 22:58.0
134. Kerri Walsh | 24:05.2
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Players Mentioned
