AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn cross country team is gearing up for an exciting season ahead as it starts the fall at the Foothills Invitational, hosted by Jacksonville State, on Friday. The meet will take place at the Choccolocco Park Sports Complex in Oxford, Alabama with the women starting off the evening at 5:45 p.m. CT and the men following at 6:20 p.m. CT.
Under the leadership of third-year head cross country coach Aaron Kindt, the Tigers are excited about the transformation the team has gone through.
"The difference between my first two years and this year is that now we have a culture in place where people understand what they have to do in the off-season to get ready for this time of the year," Kindt said. "I feel good about where we are as a team on both sides and I'm excited to get started."
The experience of Auburn's seasoned runners such as seniors Ryan Kinnane and Carson Bedics and junior Cooper Atkins is going to be crucial on the men's side. The Auburn men enter the season ranked fifth in the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association preseason South Regional rankings.
On the women's team, Kindt is looking toward sophomore Gené Coetzee and junior Hallie Porterfield to serve in that leadership role.
Competing this Friday for the women will be Mary Mac Collins, Ava McIntosh, Cady McPhail, Audrey Dunn, Hannah Tarwater, Hannah Thuss, Kali Holden, Hailey Marston, and Presley Miles. Competing for the men will be Cooper Atkins, Benson Atkins, Dustyn Lewis, Joseph Perry, Hayden Judge, Ethan Snyder, and Max Hardin.
As the opening meet approaches, the spotlight is on the freshmen who are looking to make their mark. It's a chance for the younger runners to put their training to the test.
"We get a chance to let our younger runners shake out those cobwebs and manage the butterflies." Kindt said. "It's always fun to get out there and get a chance when we can go through the motions and go through our process. We get a chance to see what people look like when the lights turn on. Practice is one thing, but you see different things with different people when the lights are turned on."
There will be 25 teams on the men's side and 27 teams on the women's competing including Troy, Samford and UAB as well as host Jacksonville State. The women will be running a 4k and the men a 5k.
Up Next
The Tigers head to John Hunt Cross Country Course in Huntsville, Alabama to compete in the North Alabama Showcase on Friday, Sept 15.
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Auburn cross country kicks off 2023 season on Friday
