Alabama
Notre Dame Invitational
Crimson Tide Cross Country to Face Competitive Field at Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational
10/3/2019 3:12:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Women's 5K begins at 12 p.m. CT, followed by the men's 5 mile at 12:45 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Crimson Tide men's and women's cross country teams will hit the road for its third meet of the season Friday, against some of the nation's top squads at the 64th annual Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational.
Friday's meet will be held at the Burke Golf Course in Notre Dame, Ind., with the women's 5K race starting at noon CT followed by the men's 5 mile at 12:45 p.m. CT. Alabama will travel 17 runners (nine men/eight women) to Notre Dame. Across the men's and the women's races, the Crimson Tide will face a competitive field that features 24 nationally ranked teams (13 from the men's draw and 11 from the women's draw).
Leading the Lineup for the Men
- Making their 2019 cross country debuts this Friday are graduates Brad Cheek, Gilbert Kigen, and Vincent Kiprop, senior J.P. Brinyark, juniors Elliot Gindi and Elliott Miller, sophomore Noel Rotich, and freshmen Jalen Murray and Jacob Wiggers for the men.
- Kiprop will take to the course for the first time this season as one of the pre-race favorites, as the graduate is one of the highest-ranked runners in the country.
- This will be Kiprop's first cross country race dating back to 2017 where he finished seventh at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, earning All-America honors with a time of 29:27.13 on the 10k course.
- Kigen returns as a graduate to be an integral part of the team as he only competed in one race last season.
- Alabama is one of 12 nationally ranked men's teams in the field of 20, which includes No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Colorado, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 13 Colorado State, No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 15 NC State, No.18 Wyoming, No. 19 Indiana, No. 21 Purdue, No. 29 Alabama.
Leading the Lineup for the Women
- Running for the UA women will be seniors Haley Wright and Rebecca Buteau, along with sophomores Lauren Brackin, Mercy Chelangat, and Riley Schelp. Freshmen Jami Reed, Amaris Tyynismaa and Allison Wilson will round out the women competing for the Crimson Tide.
- After leading Alabama to a victory at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Aug. 31., Wilson was named SEC Freshman of the Week from her fourth place 5k performance (17:52.68).
- Rising senior Buteau will be back on the course Friday after opening the season at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic with a top-5 finish and a time of 17:53:14
- The women face an equally impressive field, with 10 nationally ranked squads in a 24-team field including, No. 1 Colorado, No. 2 New Mexico, No. 6 Washington, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 16 Iowa State, No. 17 Florida State, No. 25 Boston College and No. 29 Minnesota.
Up Next
After returning from Notre Dame, the Crimson Tide women will turn its attention to the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., while the men's squad will prepare for the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, N.J., both of which will be held Saturday, Oct. 19.
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Players Mentioned
