Alabama
NCAA South Regional Championships
Alabama Cross Country Men Earn NCAA Championship Berth, Chelangat Wins South Regional Race
11/12/2021 11:31:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
The Crimson Tide men took second at the NCAA South Regional Championships, earning a berth to the national championships, while Mercy Chelangat won Alabama’s first women’s individual regional title since 1980
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Alabama cross country men took second-place at the NCAA South Regional Championships Friday morning, earning a berth to the NCAA Championships, while Mercy Chelangat won the individual title, leading the UA women to a third-place team finish.
With the top-two teams earning automatic bids, the men are heading to the NCAA Championships for the 21st time after posting its best regional finish since winning the South Regional four years in a row (2007-10). The UA women are looking for an at-large berth to next weekend's national championships in Tallahassee, Fla. The selection show will stream on NCAA.com on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. Â
Victor Kiprop, Eliud Kipsang and Hillary Cheruiyot finished 3-4-5 in the men's race, pacing the Tide to a 79-point, second-place finish. Paul Selden (30th) and Carson Burian (37th) rounded out UA's scoring five.
Chelangat ran away with the women's race, posting a 19:34.74 to finish more than seven seconds ahead of the field and becoming the Tide's first individual regional champion since 1980. Flomena Asekol and Esther Gitahi took sixth and seventh to give UA three top-10 finishers. Jamie Reed (30th) and Megan Patton (56th) rounded out Alabama's scoring five.
Alabama Head Coach Dan Waters
"We're very proud of both our men and women today. Both squads went out there and ran tough against a very good regional field. The women ran a smart, savvy race, while a couple of our men had the race of their lives out there today and that made the difference for us. We're excited to have the men earn an automatic berth and we're confident that the women will earn an at-large bid. Overall, it was just a great day for the Crimson Tide and we're looking forward to closing out the season strong next Saturday."
Up Next
- The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, Nov. 20 in Tallahassee, Fla.
- The women's race gets underway at 9:20 a.m.
- The men will toe the line at 10:10 a.m.
- Mercy Chelangat is the defending individual NCAA Cross Country Champion, while the women's team finished eighth at last season's championshipÂ
Men's NCAA South Regional Team Finishes
1. Ole Miss 68 pts
2. Alabama 79 pts
3. Florida State 112 pts
4. Lipscomb 130 pts
5. North Florida 143 pts
Alabama Men Individual Finishes
3. Victor Kiprop 29:21.80
4. Eliud Kipsang 29:28.090
5. Hillary Cheruiyot 29:29.35
30. Paul Selden 30:47.69
37. Carson Burian 30:55.06
39. Jack Hawes 31:03.18
120. Gavin Saacke 33:13.22
Women's NCAA South Regional Team Finishes
1. Ole Miss 69 pts
2. Florida State 86 pts
3. Alabama 99 pts
4. Tennessee 121 pts
5. Florida 135 pts
Alabama Women Individual Finishes
1. Mercy Chelangat 19:34.74
6. Flomena Asekol 19:55.57
7. Esther Gitahi 19:58.46
30. Jami Reed 20:46.46
56. Megan Patton 21:15.59
82. Leahrose Mami 21:54.52
132. Sophie Spada 22:49.06
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Players Mentioned
