Alabama track and field sent 11 runners to the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational on Friday morning. Of the five male competitors, three finished in the top 10 of the 26-runner 4-mile, and on the women’s side, one placed in the top 10, and four placed in the top 15 out of 32 in the 3-mile.
“With a younger team, I felt they handled and executed their race plans very well,” head coach Dan Waters said. “This gives us a good starting point as we begin the season, and now it’s about building consistency and confidence with each race.”
Leading the way for the men, junior Hamdani Benahmed finished in fifth place, while freshman Jackson Hogsed came in seventh and junior Jackson Harris came in ninth. The Crimson Tide and the hosting Volunteers comprised the entire top 12, with Kentucky’s Alex Alston at 13th being the top runner from another school.
Freshman Isabelle Sullivan was the top runner on the women’s team, placing seventh. After that, junior Taylor McCue, senior Leah Kleekamp and sophomore Avery Ruesch finished 12th, 13th and 15th, respectively. The rankings were more diverse in the women’s race, with Kentucky and Tennessee almost evenly splitting the rest of the top 15.
Men’s:
- Hamdani Benahmed, junior — fifth place, 19:47.24
- Jackson Hogsed, freshman — seventh, 19:55.57
- Jackson Harris, junior — ninth, 20:08.16
- Kai Connor, senior — 12th, 20:18.67
- Evan Simpson, sophomore — 18th, 20:52.03
Women’s:
- Isabelle Sullivan, freshman — seventh, 17:16.62
- Taylor McCue, junior — 12th, 17:35.02
- Leah Kleekamp, senior — 13th, 17:38.11
- Avery Ruesch, sophomore — 15th, 17:51.04
- Kaylie Crews, graduate student — 18th, 18:07.56
- Autumn Headrick, junior — 19th, 18:08.78
- Kristen Aguilera, junior — 24th, 19:28.90
The team will next compete Sept. 12 at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville. The men’s meet is at 7:30 a.m., with the women’s following at 8:30 a.m.
