AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn cross country runner Ryan Kinnane was named the 2024 SEC Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday.
The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is given to students who excel in both their academics and competitive sports.
The Wichita, Kansas native is a three-time recipient of the award (2023, 2022) and was also the 2024 SEC Indoor Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He is one of two cross country student-athletes in program history to receive the cross country award, joining Ty McCormack who won in 2014.
Kinnane currently holds a 4.0 grade point average as he works towards his Master of Business Administration. He earned his undergraduate degree in aviation management with a minor in business in Spring 2023 with a 3.95 grade point average.
This season, Kinnane has raced in two meets, including a fourth-place finish at the Gans Creek Classic in the 8k with a PR-worthy performance (23:10.30). During the 2024 outdoor season, he broke the Auburn indoor mile school record (3:58.28) and was part of the distance medley relay that broke the school record (9:24.43).
The SEC also honored Alabama’s Doris Lemngole who won the SEC Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The winning duo will be recognized at the SEC Cross Country Championships in College Station, Texas this Friday, November 1.
The year’s championships will be held at the Watts Cross Country Course with the women’s 6k starting at 9:08 a.m. CT followed by the men’s 8k at 9:50 a.m. CT. Both races will be televised on the SEC Network.