Crimson Tide Women Remain 3rd, Men up 2 Spots to 6th in Latest Cross Country Regional Rankings
9/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama women's team remains third while the men's team rose two sports to sixth in this week's edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I Team Computer Rankings released Monday. The Crimson Tide won the team titles in the men's and women's divisions last Saturday at the Asheville Cross Country Carnival, taking team victories in their second consecutive meet to start the 2014 season.
The women's team finished ahead of 10 teams while the men finished ahead of 11 teams in a race that opened the season for many of the Crimson Tide's veteran runners, three weeks after Alabama's victory over Samford in which the Crimson Tide fielded teams comprised almost entirely of freshman runners. At Asheville last Saturday, the Tide women swept the top four spots in the five-kilometer race, adding the sixth and seventh finishers overall to score 16 team points, as Alabama finished four freshmen in the top 20 overall. Meet host North Carolina-Asheville finished behind Alabama with 68 team points. Tide junior Katelyn Greenleaf won the women's race, finishing in 17:44.46. Sophomore Hannah Waggoner followed Greenleaf across the line in 17:44.68. Junior Kimberley Ficenec crossed the line in a time of 18:03.96, just ahead of sophomore Allison Gregg (18:06.49). Freshman Veronica Lyle rounded out the team scorers with a sixth-place finish in a time of 18:10.13.
The men's squad finished five veteran athletes in the top seven, earning 19 team points. Western Carolina finished in second with 75 team points. Sophomore Robbie-Farnham Rose took home the win in the eight-kilometer race in a time of 25:04.98. He was followed by senior Matt Airola in a time of 25:05.27. Junior Parker Deuel finished third in a time of 25:17.99. Sophomores Payton Ballard (25:30.26) and Conner Thompson (25:30.53) crossed the line in sixth and seventh place, respectively, to round out the team scorers.
The Tide will take this weekend off from competition before resuming the 2014 season on Saturday, October 4, when Alabama travels to Bethlehem, Pa., for the Paul Short Invitational.
The USTFCCCA team rankings are compiled by mathematical formulae based on national descending order lists and data taken from previous seasons. For the preseason ranking and early-season rankings, data will be taken from previous seasons as well as the current season. The purpose and methodology of the rankings is to create an index that showcases the teams that have the best potential of achieving the top spots in the national team race. Rankings points do not equate with NCAA Championships team points.
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