Nov. 8, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn cross country is set to travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the NCAA South Regional held at the Harry Pritchett Running Park on Friday. The women will run a 6k beginning at 9 am CT while the men will run the 10k slated to start at 10 am CT.
"We're excited to head back to Tuscaloosa for the NCAA South Regional meet," assistant cross country and track and field coach David Barnett said. "We raced very well on this course at the Crimson Classic and are optimistic that we can have similar results this week."
The Tigers previously ran the course at the Crimson Classic on Oct. 13, with great success. The women finished second in the 6k while the men finished fourth in the 8k. Junior Brenda Kigen won the first cross country event of her career as she ran the 6k in 20:23.4.
Kigen is one nine Tigers set to run the women's race. She will be joined by sophomores Cassie Bebout and Presley Weems, and the freshmen contingent of Faith Bett, Andonet Cheruiyot, Joyce Kimeli, Mercy Kiprop and Emily Mills.
Kimeli and Bett earned All-Freshman SEC honors at the SEC Championships in Athens, Ga. after finishing in the top-7 of all freshmen women's runners.
The experienced men's squad will be headed by seniors Coleman Churitch and Kevin Wyss. Wyss, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., was the Tigers' top finisher in the first two events of the season, while Churitch has claimed the distinction the last two outings.
Churitch, a native of Brentwood, Tenn., was the Tigers' top finisher for the first time in his career at the Crimson Classic, crossing the line in 24:52.0 to finish 16th. He followed with a 17th-place finish at the SEC Championships.
Fellow seniors Wesley Curles, Mitchell Gomez, Wesley Pectol and Jay Spieler along with sophomore Erik Armes make up the remaining runners on the men's team.
A total of 34 men's teams and 41 women's teams are set to compete in the regional, including fellow SEC teams Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Live stats will be available here.