AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn cross country women travel to Huntsville, Alabama to compete in the Southern Showcase, hosted by Jacksonville State on Friday. The meet will be held at the John Hunt Cross Country Park with the women’s 5k starting at 10 a.m. CT.
“I’m looking forward to opening up the season on the women’s side,” Auburn cross country coach Aaron Kindt said. “This group has worked very hard over the summer, and I am excited to see us compete this Friday.”
A total of eight women will be competing for the Tigers with a chance to face off against 55 other squads including SEC rivals No. 12 Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Heading into the weekend, the women were ranked ninth in the South Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and No. 9 in the SEC Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
Kindt plans to use experience from sophomores Audrey Dunn and Cady McPhail in the season opener for the women.
“Audrey Dunn and Cady McPhail are two returners we are going to lean on this weekend to lead this group,” Kindt said. “Both have put in great summers and look ready to help contribute to our top squad later in the fall.”
At the Southern Showcase last season, the women had a second-place finish, upsetting then ranked No. 13 Alabama with Dunn and McPhail contributing to the team’s success.
“One of our goals this weekend is to give some of our younger runners a chance to gain some experience and provide them an opportunity to learn what it is like to be counted on as our main scorers,” Kindt said.
The spotlight is on the freshman who are looking to make their mark. Mary Malone and Alexandra Walsh get a chance to make their debut in orange and blue.
"With this meet, I am hoping we can continue to build depth for this year and into the future,” Kindt said.
Live results can be found at xpresstiming.com.
Up Next
Auburn cross country travels to Columbia, Missouri to compete in the Gans Creek Classic on Friday, September 27 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.