AUBURN, Ala. - After an outstanding performance at the 2025 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships, Auburn sophomore Nickson Chebii was named to the Men's First Team All-SEC, the conference office announced Monday.
Racing on the Cherokee Farm Cross Country Course in Knoxville, Tennessee, Chebii claimed silver in the men’s 8k, clocking a season-best time of 23:11.57. The Elgeyo Marakwet, Kenya, native’s finish marked the best by an Auburn male at the conference championships since Ty McCormack also placed second in 2014.
“That was the most complete race that Nickson has run since he’s been at Auburn,” Auburn cross country coach Aaron Kindt said. “I knew he had a big race in him. I just didn’t know when it would happen, and this weekend, he put it all together. It was really exciting to see. It’s been fun to see him grow and find that confidence.”
Chebii led the way for the Tigers, finishing as Auburn’s top runner for the fourth consecutive meet. Behind his effort, the Auburn men placed 12th overall with 320 points, and the women finished 16th with 404 points.
Competing against some of the nation’s top runners from ranked SEC programs, including No. 8 Alabama, No. 20 Georgia and No. 22 Missouri, Chebii earned the second All-SEC honor of his career. He improved upon his 2024 performance, where he placed ninth overall and was named to the Second Team All-SEC.
The All-SEC teams are determined by individual finishes at the conference championships. The First Team includes the top seven finishers from each race, followed by the Second Team (places 8–14) and Third Team (places 15–21). The top seven freshmen finishers earn All-Freshman honors.
To view a full list of the honorees, visit here.
Up Next
Chebii and the Tigers will race at the NCAA South Regionals in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday, November 14, and the John Hunt Cross Country Course.