OXFORD, Miss. It was a very good morning for Alabama cross country.
For the first time in program history, the Crimson Tide swept the Southeastern Conference team championships Friday at Ole Miss Golf Course in Oxford, Miss.
Alabama’s women used a dominant 36-point performance to win its first SEC title in 35 years on Friday morning, while the men sat down to earn 59 points for the victory.
Alabama head coach Dan Waters said
“We have amazing student-athletes, coaches and staff and they all work so hard for us to be able to compete at this level in this conference. Even with all that, it’s so rare that you have days like today when everything comes together perfectly. We saw two incredible but very different races there. The women came ready and willing for their moment and they took it. Our men were in a fight from the moment they stepped over the line and they really dug deep and got us the results. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished and I can’t wait to continue this season at regionals.”
Women’s title
- Alabama placed four runners in the top-seven finishers, incl Mercy Chelangat (18:33.65) and Hilda Olemomoi (18:54.11) in second and third place respectively
- Pacific Amaris (19:06.93) finished in fifth time Flomena Asekol (19:25.24) took seventh place
- Rounding out the Tide’s score of five, Elka Machan (20:29.12) capped the UA win with a 19th-place finish
- Arkansas was second in the women’s competition with 74 points, followed by Ole Miss in third with 83.
- The Alabama women have now won three SEC team titles, with the first two coming back in 1986 and 1987.
- The Crimson Tide’s win in 2022 marks the first time since 2012 that Arkansas has not won the SEC team title
Men’s title
- With the women’s title in the books, Alabama came back and did it again, winning the men’s titles by 59 points in one of the tightest SEC men’s contests in conference history
- Alabama beat Tennessee and Arkansas, which tied for second place, by five points with 64 points, while Ole Miss was fourth with 65 points.
- Viktor Kiprop (22:38.94) led the UA men by winning the individual event by nearly four seconds
- He was followed by Hillary Cheruiyot (22:51.42) in the fourth and Eliud Kipsang (23:18.84) in seventh place
- Brady Grant (23:48.63) came in 19th, leaving him in the fifth and final spot to secure the win.
- Jacob Harris (24:12.76) finished 28th to secure Alabama’s second championship trophy of the morning.
- Friday’s title was the fourth for the UA men’s program after also winning in 1973, 2008 and 2009
- Kiprop’s title was his 13th men’s SEC individual title and fifth since 2015
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SEC Results 2022
Ole Miss Golf Course
Oxford, Miss.
The women’s team ends
1. Alabama 36 points
2. Arkansas 74 points
3. Ole Miss 83 points
4. Kentucky 122 points
5. Florida 147 points
6. Tennessee 159 points
7. LSU 201 points
8. Texas A&M 208 points
9. Vanderbilt 223 points
10. Auburn 260 points
11. Missouri 276 points
12. South Carolina 326 points
13. Georgia 395 points
14. Mississippi State 414 points
Alabama Finishers (6000 meters)
2. Mercy Chelangat 18:33.65
3. Hilda Olemomoi 18:54.11
5. Pacific Amaris 19:06.93
7. Flomena Asekol 19:25.24
19. Elka Machan 20:29.12
36. Lilly Walters 20:51.51
42. Jami Reed 20:57.98
54. Sam McDonnell 21:13.17
104. Keaton Morrison 22:02.22
130. Macy Shell 22:59.03
132. Leah Kleekamp 23:01.30
141. Kerry Walsh 23:23.63
The men’s team ends
1. Alabama 36 points
2. Tennessee 64 points
2. Arkansas 64 points
4. Ole Miss 65 points
5. Texas A&M 126 points
6. Kentucky 190 points
7. Auburn 199 points
8. Missouri 219 points
9. Georgia 229 points
10. Florida 294 points
11. LSU 347 points
12. Vanderbilt 347 points
Alabama Finishers (8000 meters)
1. Viktor Kiprop 22:38.94
4. Hillary Cheruiyot 22:51.42
7. Eliud Kipsang 23:18.84
19. Brady Grant 23:48.63
28. Jacob Harris 24:12.76
42. Brady Barton 24:33.53
45. Will Pinson 24:39.37
49. Jacob Wiggers 24:42.13
60. Gavin Saacke 25:06.50
87. Carter Waters 26:00.77
