The Alabama men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up the outdoor regular season on Saturday by sending 43 student-athletes to compete in the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona.
The Crimson Tide rolled into this meet ranked No. 2 in the nation on the men’s side and No. 15 on the women’s side. There were 27 top 10 finishes, with four of those being first-place finishes.
“Great weekend,” head coach Dan Waters said. “With four event titles and an impressive 27 top 10 finishes, our team showcased exceptional talent.”
Junior Corde Long was victorious in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 49.26 seconds. Long now holds the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
Long also competed in the men’s 4×400-meter relay with seniors Jonathan Martin, Matthew Weaver and Clayton Elder. This team finished in third place with their time of 3:07.40.
Weaver also ran the men’s 4×100-meter relay race with juniors Jekovan Rhetta, Tarsis Orogot and Josh Thomas. They clocked in at 39.27 seconds and came away with third place.
Freshman Allan Kiplagat finished first in the men’s steeplechase with his new personal-best time of 9:21.78.
Senior Khaleb McRae sprinted to second place in the men’s 400-meter dash in 45.54 seconds, and senior Chris Robinson was just behind him in third place, clocking in 45.63 seconds.
Junior Hillary Cheruiyot claimed second in the men’s 3,000-meter race with a time of 8:13.44. Freshman Dennis Kipruto finish third in this event with an 8:15.71.
On the women’s side, graduate student Chandler Hayden continued her streak of finishing in the top three in throwing events. She kicked the weekend off by claiming third place in the hammer throw with a 60.57-meter toss.
Sophomore Caelyn Harris won gold in women’s long jump via a 6.54-meter leap. Harris set a new personal record and now holds the third-farthest jump in program history.
Junior Miracle Ailes took third place in the women’s high jump with a 1.80-meter jump.
Before the night was over, freshman Brenda Tuwei competed in the women’s 3,000-meter and won the race with a time of 9:44.55.
“Now with the upcoming week off, we have a fantastic opportunity to hone our skills and refine what we can control,” Waters said.
Postseason action will start May 9-11 at the SEC championships in Gainesville, Florida.
“I’m eagerly anticipating the achievements this team can reach,” Waters said. “We’ll be prepared for whatever comes our way.”
