Bama Central

Alabama Sweeps Individual Titles at SEC Cross Country Championships

Mercy Chelangat won her second straight SEC championship, while Eliud Kipsang won the men's title for the Crimson Tide track team.
Christopher Walsh|
Alabama Athletics

The University of Alabama cross country team captured two more individual titles by sweeping the individual titles at the 2021 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships Friday morning. 

Mercy Chelangat won her second-straight title, while Eliud Kipsang won the men’s championship at Columbia, Mo.

Both set course records.

Chelangat became the first woman to cover the 6-kilometer Gans Creek Cross Country course in under 20 minutes, going 19:55.2, while Kipsang lowered the 8-kilometer course standard to 23:33.5.

“We are so proud of Mercy and Eliud and the way they competed today," Alabama track coach Dan Waters said in a statement. "They moved up throughout the race and then dominated the final 1,000 meters to get the win. 

"For them to run that way, with both setting the course records in wet, sloppy conditions, it’s a testament to how well they raced. Overall, we had several strong individual performances, and while the team finishes weren’t what we wanted them to be, we’ll learn from today and come back stronger next time.”

The Crimson Tide women placed third, and the men fourth.

Chelangat is the first runner on the Alabama women’s team to win back-to-back SEC titles. Her win marked just the second time the Crimson Tide has won consecutive individual titles, with the first coming in 1987 and 1988. 

Chelangat’s and Kipsang’s wins also marked just the second time Alabama has won the men’s and women’s races in the same year, and the first time since 1988.

Women’s Team Results

1. Arkansas 68 points

2. Ole Miss 83 pts

3. Alabama 91 pts

4. Kentucky 93 pts

5. Tennessee 136 pts

6. Florida 170 pts

7. Missouri 192 pts

8. Vanderbilt 214 pts

9. Auburn 253 pts

10. LSU 256 pts

11. Texas A&M 270 pts

12. Georgia 292 pts

13. Miss State 363 pts

14. South Carolina 435 pts

Alabama Women’s Individual Results

1. Mercy Chelangat 19:55.2*

7. Flomena Asekol 20:20.6

8. Amaris Tyynismaa 20:21.0

11. Esther Gitahi 20:30.3

69. Leahrose Mami 22:01.5

81. Kerri Walsh 22:15.1

89. Kaylie Crews 22:32.0

97. Sophie Spada 22:45.5

98. Megan Patton 22:47.2

113. Riley Schelp 23:28.1

128. Keaton Morrison 24:17.4

136. Jami Reed 27:57.7

* course record

Men’s Team Results

1. Arkansas 40 points

2. Ole Miss 59 pts

3. Missouri 105 pts

4. Alabama 132 pts

5. Tennessee 169 pts

6. Kentucky 183 pts

7. Florida 215 pts

8. Georgia 223 pts

9. Texas A&M 229 pts

10. Auburn 250 pts

11. Vanderbilt 253 pts

12. LSU 261 pts

Alabama Men’s Individual Results

1. Eliud Kipsang 23:33.5*

4. Victor Kiprop 23:43.8

22. Hillary Cheruiyot 24:13.7

55. Gavin Saacke 25:08.6

56. Carson Burian 25:09.7

63. Jack Hawes 25:17.2

75. Brady Barton 25:36.7

77. Paul Selden 25:40.4

101. Rich Saenz 26:58.1

105. Jace Jones 27:26.0

*course record

Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites . He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 27 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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