AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn cross country teams are back in action this week as they head up the road to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to compete in the Crimson Classic. Coming off of six new personal bests at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic, the team looks to continue this momentum into their last regular season competition.
A total of 15 teams will toe the line Friday morning at Harry Pritchett Running Park with the men's 8k race beginning at 8:30 a.m. CT and the women's 6k race at 9:20 a.m. CT.
"Throughout the year your fitness changes and your goals change with that so how you race and your tactics you try to experiment throughout the year," said Coach Aaron Kindt. "Leading into this race, we want to run hard, give a great effort to be tough, but we also want to start to really solidify what our race is and what we need to do to be successful."
Running for the Auburn women will be seniors Sara Pacer and Hannah Tarwater, junior Samantha Rogers, sophomores Hannah Thuss and Hallie Porterfield, and freshmen Shelby Balding, Gene Coetzee, Kali Holden, and Hailey Marston.
Rogers led the way for the Tigers in the women's 5k race in a personal-best of 16:53.6 two weeks ago at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic. Close behind was South African native, Gene Coetzee who completed the course in 17:11.8.
"Both groups are healthy and coming off some big workouts the last week so we are excited," Kindt said.
Running for the Auburn men will be junior Dustyn Lewis, sophomores Benson Atkins, Cooper Atkins, Mark Foster, Ryan Kinnane, and Louis O'Loughlin, and freshmen Isaiah Billingsley and Joseph Perry.
Kinnane improved upon his personal best to lead the way for the Tigers at the previous meet with a time of 23:21.6 in the men's 8k gold race. Carson Bedics also ran a strong race, crossing the line in 24:21.2 for a new personal best.
On the men's side, the Tigers will face SEC rivals No. 22 Alabama and Georgia, as well as Clemson, Florida State, Alcorn State, Belmont, FIU, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Florida, Samford, South Alabama, Southern University and Wallace State.
The women will line up with SEC rivals No.6 Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State, and South Carolina, as well as No. 24 Florida State, Clemson, Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Belmont, FIU, Jackson State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Samford, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Southern University and Wallace State.
"We're going to see a handful of regional teams and SEC teams that we have seen throughout out this year," said Kindt. "It is going to be a tighter window for us to beat the teams that we are aiming for."
Live timing for the meet can be found at https://live.pttiming.com/XC-PTT.html?mid=5220
Up Next
Auburn will travel to Oxford, Miss. to compete at the SEC Cross Country Championships October 28th.
