COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Auburn freshmen duo Nickson Chebii and Brenda Jepchirchir led the Auburn cross country teams to strong finishes at the SEC Cross Country Championships in Bryan-College Station, Texas, on the Watts Cross Country Course. The men finished seventh with 175 points, while the women took eighth with 223 points.
Chebii and Jepchirchir ran their best races of the season, leading both programs to finish in the top eight at the conference championships for the first time since 2015.
“Overall, it was a strong day for both programs,” Auburn cross country coach Aaron Kindt said. “On the men’s side, I thought Nickson Chebii, Ryan Kinnane, and Max Hardin were really good for us in those three positions.”
Crossing the 8k finish line in 22:44.90, Chebii placed ninth overall. His finish is the best by an Auburn freshman since 2009, when Girma Mesecho won the SEC title.
“Nickson Chebii continues to gain more confidence and continues to get better and better each week. I’m proud of him. Where he started when he first got to Auburn in January, to where he is now is night and day. It is a testament to the work that he has put in this year.”
Three-time SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient senior Ryan Kinnane delivered a strong showing with the best 8k time of his collegiate career (23:02.30). In his final SEC cross country meet, his 14th place finish earned all-SEC honors for the third consecutive year, marking the first time since Felix Kiboiywo to accomplish the feat (2007-09).
“Ryan Kinnane in his last SEC meet was exceptional,” Kindt said. “He ran a smart race. Max Hardin ran a gutsy race for us in that third spot.”
Sophomore Max Hardin put together his best 8k race with a 28th place finish as he crossed in 23:26.80. Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers were seniors Carson Bedics and Hayden Judge, who were 54th (23:54.60) and 81st (24:28.90), respectively.
“The guys, I thought, ran a really gusty race overall and came up just short of our goal,” Kindt said. “We just ran out of a little bit of gas at the end, but that was not without an exceptional fight from the team. I know they will bounce back headed into the regional meet. We have a lot of racing left to be done this season.”
On the women’s side, Jepchirchir crossed in 5th place in a time of 19:13.60 to lead the Tiger women. She was the first freshman finisher among all competitors, and her showing was the best from an Auburn freshman since Brend Kigen finished fourth in 2015.
“I thought Brenda Jepchirchir was excellent,” Kindt said. “We knew that there were about eight runners in this race at the front, that would be good. Our goal was to try and be in that top 5 range. I thought she ran a great, gutsy race. An excellent, excellent run for a true freshman.”
Racing in her third SEC cross country championships, Gené Coetzee crossed in a time of 20:02.10, taking 30th overall. The third finisher for the women was senior Hallie Porterfield. Crossing in a time of 20:20.10, she was able to deliver a solid outing to help the team’s standings.
Indoor freshman mile record holder Camila Gomes was 55th (20:22.50).
“I thought Hallie Porterfield and Camila Gomes were also good for us. Hallie ran an exceptional race and gave us a chance to be better than the top half.”
Samantha Rogers was the last scorer for the team. Her time of 20:50.00 earned her 88th place.
“I think we came up just a little bit short of the top seven,” Kindt said. “That was not without a big fight from that women’s group. It was a nice step forward after a couple of years of coming to this meet and coming up short.”
Arkansas won the men’s title with 38 points, while Alabama claimed the women’s title with 72 points. Patrick Kiprop of Arkansas and Alabama’s Doris Lemngole won the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
Up Next
Auburn cross country will travel to Tallahassee, Florida Friday, November 15, for the NCAA South Regionals at the Apalachee Regional Park.
2024 Southeastern Conference Championships
Watts Cross Country Course
Bryan-College Station, Texas
Men’s Team Results (8k)
- Auburn, 175 points
Men’s Individual Results
9. Nickson Chebii, 22:44.90
14. Ryan Kinnane, 23:02.30
28. Max Hardin, 23:26.80
54. Carson Bedics, 23:54.60
81. Hayden Judge, 24:28.90
99. Cooper Atkins, 24:54.30
105. Fuji Anday, 25:04.90
113. Joseph Perry, 25:15.70
Women’s Team Results (6k)
- Auburn, 223 points
Women’s Individual Results
5. Brenda Jepchirchir, 19:13.60
30. Gené Coetzee, 20:02.10
53. Hallie Porterfield, 20:20.10
55. Camile Gomes, 20:22.50
88. Samantha Rogers, 20:50.00
97. Alexandra Walsh, 20:55.60
107. Shelby Balding, 21:06.00
125. Audrey Dunn, 21:21.90
131. Cady McPhail, 21:27.40
141. Ava McIntosh, 21:34.70
DNF. Mary Malone