Alabama
NCAA South Regional
Alfred Chelanga Wins NCAA South Region Cross Country Championship
11/9/2018 11:52:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The senior is the third Crimson Tide regional champion in the last four seasons
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Alabama senior Alfred Chelanga took the lead over the final 2,000 meters and raced to victory at the NCAA Cross Country South Regional on Friday at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.
The win earns Chelanga a berth in the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 17.
"My strategy was to (make my move at) 6,000 meters and it was a good race." Chelanga said. "I wasn't worried about the hills because I really know how the course is. He (runner-up Zach Long from Tennessee) was challenging me for a little bit. I think he's very strong but I'm glad I got him at the end."
Chelanga is the sixth men's South Region individual champion in Alabama history and joins Antibahs Kosgei (2015) and Gilbert Kigen (2017) as the third Tide runner to win the regional meet in the last four seasons.
Chelanga circled the 10,000-meter course in 30:59.2 for the win to lead the Tide to a sixth-place finish in the team standings. Senior Connor Ferrentino finished 25th in 32:12.9 to earn All-South Region honors. Juniors J.P. Brinyark (32:20.0), Clay Austell (33:44.7) and Oliver Rigg (33:51.9) finished 29th, 85th and 91st, respectively, to round out the scoring for Alabama.
"It's great to have a regional champion again and it was a tremendous accomplishment for Connor to earn all-region honors," Alabama head coach Dan Waters said. "I'm very proud of how hard we ran as a team today. After all the injuries and adversity we went through this season I'm proud of how hard we continued to compete and the way guys stepped up when we needed them. Everyone kept competing hard, which is what you need in a tough season like this. That's why I'm so proud of this team. They competed and had a lot of pride. It's part of the culture we're trying to build here."
Ole Miss and host Florida State finished first and second, respectively, to earn the region's two team berths in the NCAA Championships.
In the women's championship, junior Esther Gitahi led the Tide with a 29th-place finish in 21:16.7 over the 6,000-meter course. Fellow juniors McKenzie Yanek (21:33.4) and Rebecca Buteau (21:42.0) finished 39th and 50th, respectively, while senior Nicole Gardner (21:45.9) finished 54th and sophomore Maddie Dearborn finished 72nd in 22:11.7 to round out the scoring for UA.
"We ran a fantastic race today," women's distance coach Will Palmer said. "We showed a lot of fight and executed our game plan. It was good to finish strong and move up a couple of team places over the last 2,000 meters. It's exciting to end the season that way. We kept fighting and ran as a team. That's a good lesson to take into the offseason."
Alabama finished eighth as a team in the women's meet. Florida State and Florida finished 1-2 to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
NCAA South Regional
Friday, Nov. 9, 2018
Apalachee Regional Park
Tallahassee, Fla.
Host: Florida State University
Men's 10,000 Meters Team Results
1. Ole Miss (45)
2. Florida State (92)
3. Tennessee (108)
4. Belmont (139)
5. Georgia Tech (161)
6. ALABAMA (227)
Alabama Individual Men's Results
1. Alfred Chelanga, 30:59.2
25. Connor Ferrentino, 32:12.9
29. J.P. Brinyark, 32:20.0
85 Clay Austell, 33:44.7
91 Oliver Rigg, 33:51.9
129. Paul Selden, 35:38.4
DNF. Kwemoi Ndiwa
Women's 6,000 Meters Team Results
1. Florida State (60)
2. Florida (54)
3. Ole Miss (87)
4. Georgia Tech (144)
5. Georgia (165)
6. Vanderbilt (183)
7. Tennessee (221)
8. ALABAMA (231)
Alabama Individual Women's Results
29. Esther Gitahi, 21:16.7
39. McKenzie Yanek, 21:33.4
50. Rebecca Buteau, 21:42.0
54. Nicole Gardner, 21:45.9
72. Maddie Dearborn, 22:11.7
120. Megan Patton, 23:07.0
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Players Mentioned
