Alabama
Florida State Invitational
Alabama Cross Country Returns to Action at Florida State Invitational
10/1/2020 2:14:00 PM | Track & Field, Cross Country, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide will compete at Apalachee Regional Park for its second of three meets this season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to compete in the Florida State Invitational which will take place at the Apalachee Regional Park on Friday morning.
The men's team will begin with the 8k at 8:40 a.m. CT, followed by the women's squad as they will run the 5k starting at 9:10 a.m. CT.
Each race will have ten schools competing, five from the Atlantic Coast Conference and five from the Southeastern Conference. Alabama will be competing against conference foes such as Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU (men's race) and Mississippi State (women's race). The Tide will also be racing against some of the top schools in the ACC as Florida State, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Miami will all be competing in Tallahassee.
LAST TIME OUT
- Alabama opened the 2020 season in an all-SEC showdown at the Commodore Classic on Sept. 19.
- Jami Reed led the Crimson Tide women to a trio of top-five finishes, as she crossed the finish line victorious in the women's 6k with a time of 20:57.5.
- Mercy Chelangat crossed the finish line at 21:14.4 to place third and right beside her, Esther Gitahi, ran her first cross country meet for Alabama in two years, coming in fourth place with a time of 21:14.6.
- Jacob Wiggers was the top finisher for the Crimson Tide men, posting 25:36.1 in the 8k race to finish 16th overall.
- Alabama men's squad finished fourth.
LEADING THE LINEUP
- The Tide men will run Mateo Barreto, Jack Hawes, Jace Jones, Alex Mielke, Rich Saenz, Grady Shiflet, Garrett Suhr and Jacob Wiggers.
- Running for the UA women will be Lauren Brackin, Mercy Chelangat, Patricija Cirule, Esther Gitahi, Savannah Hossfeld, Leahrose Mami, Megan Patton, Jami Reed, Riley Schelp, Sophie Spada, Amaris Tyynismaa and Eliza Witherspoon.
REGIONAL REVIEW
- Alabama raced at the Apalachee State Park last season during the 2019 NCAA South Regional (Tallahassee).
- The men placed third out of 24 Division I teams, marking its second top-three finish in the last three seasons.
- While the women concluded the 2019 season with a sixth-place finish over the 6K course.
- Led by All-Region top-10 performance of Mercy Chelangat (9th, 20:33.4).
TIDE TIDBITS
- Both Alabama men's and women's cross country were picked to finish third by the conference coaches in the 2020 Southeastern Conference cross country preseason poll.
- Reed earned her first SEC Women's Runner of the Week of her career following the Commodore Classic.
UP NEXT
As the Crimson Tide wraps up it shortened regular season Friday, postseason is scheduled to begin at the 2020 SEC Championships Oct. 30 in Baton Rouge, La.
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaTrack on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
