HEADED TO NATIONALS! No. 10/7 Cross Country Sweeps South Regional Championships

Friday, November 15

Tallahassee, Fla. / Apalachee Regional Park

Alabama

NCAA South Regionals

Alabama Cross Country 2024 South Regional Champs

HEADED TO NATIONALS! No. 10/7 Cross Country Sweeps South Regional Championships

11/15/2024 1:13:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country

Final Results (Web)Final Results (PDF)Photo Gallery

The UA women claimed the program’s fifth regional title and second in three years, while the UA men captured the program’s eighth regional victory

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 10/7 Alabama men's and women's cross country teams swept the 2024 NCAA South Regional Championships, securing automatic bids to next week's NCAA Championships. Freshman Dismus Lokira won the men's individual 10k title with a 29:30.8 performance to mark the third consecutive year that an Alabama men's runner has taken the South Regional crown.

The UA men's team made quick work of its 80 points to capture the program's eighth regional championship, as Lokira, Victor Kiprop (29:34.4 | second) and Dennis Kipruto (29:42.9) secured Alabama a one-two-three sweep at Apalachee Regional Park. The result marks the second time this season that the UA trio claimed the top-three times in a race.

Lokira joins Hillary Cheruiyot (2023) and Kiprop (2022) as the third UA South Regional champion in as many years.

The UA women, meanwhile, needed only 63 points to secure the program's fifth regional championship, and second in the last three years. Doris Lemngole led the Crimson Tide charge, crossing the line just a hundredth of a second behind the event's champion at 19:30.6. The result marked the seventh consecutive top-two finish for the standout sophomore. Teammates Brenda Tuwei (19:52.8 | third) and Pheline Mining (20:11.4 | seventh) helped solidify Alabama as the only school to place three runners in the top seven.

Alabama Women at the NCAA South Regional Championships

Highlighted by the trio of Lemngole, Tuwei and Mining, the Crimson Tide finished 16 points ahead of second-place Florida with 79
Addison Dorenkamp (20:27.6 | 19^th) and Franziska Drexler (20:40.6 | 32^nd) rounded out UA's scoring five
The victory marked the fifth regional title in program history, and the second in the last three years

Alabama Men at the NCAA South Regional Championships

Highlighted by the 1-2-3 finish from Lokira, Kiprop and Kipruto, the UA men finished 11 points clear of second-place Ole Miss with 91
Evan Trapp (30:57.5 | 29^th) and Jack Hawes (31:18.4 | 45^tht) rounded out UA's scoring five
The performance marked the eighth time the Crimson Tide men won the regional title

Gallery: (11-15-2024) 11-15-24 MWTR NCAA Regionals

Head Coach Dan Waters Said

"Our program did an outstanding job today, sweeping the South Regional Championships. To have our men go 1-2-3 – it's hard to beat a team that does that. It's uncommon to run a freshman in the regional race but we did, and Dismus ran a phenomenal race. Evan executed his approach very well, and our seniors pulled through for the finish.

"I thought our women also did great, placing three in the top seven – the only school to do that. Starting with Doris who finished even with the other runner, and our freshmen Franziska and Addison – they all ran very well, stuck to their preparation, and it showed. This is the second regional title in three years for our women and I couldn't be prouder of Nick (Stenuf) and the women's execution. With only the NCAA Championships ahead of us, we're looking forward to closing this successful season off strong."