Both Crimson Tide cross country teams enjoyed a successful outing at the 2025 NCAA Division I South Regional Championships on Friday morning, with the women taking all three top individual spots and the men walking away with the South Regional Championship trophy.
The women’s 6,000-meter was held first at 8:30. The dynamic trio of junior Doris Lemngole and freshmen Caren Kiplagat and Cynthia Jemutai once again shined. A nearly two-minute gap between those top three and Alabama’s next closest runner, sophomore Meriel Rowland at 61st, prevented the team from taking the top spot from regional No. 1 Florida (52 total score) and No. 3 Tennessee (101). The team placed third (125, tied with Mississippi State).
Afterward was the men’s 10,000m, which, like every other race this season save the Tennessee Invitational in September, finished with the Crimson Tide in first place. This South-No.1 squad has been dominant in head coach Dan Waters’ 15th season, maintaining its top spot in the region and a top-10 spot in the country since the end-of-September coaches’ rankings.
Friday morning was no different. Alabama was first with 37; second-place Ole Miss finished with 75, third-place Georgia had 77 and everyone else was in the hundreds.
It was another win-by-committee effort, as each of the Crimson Tide’s five scored runners placed in the top 15. No other team had more than two.
Women’s 6,000m:
- Doris Lemngole, junior — first, 18:43.77
- Caren Kiplagat, freshman — second, 18:49.70
- Cynthia Jemutai, freshman — third, 19:10.35
- Meriel Rowland, sophomore — 61st, 20:53.62
- Leah Kleekamp, senior — 63rd, 20:58.12
- Kaylie Crews, graduate student — 73rd, 21:11.06
- Lilly Walters, senior — 90th, 21:17.60
Men’s 10,000m:
- Dismus Lokira, sophomore — second, 29:11.88
- Dennis Kipruto, junior — fourth, 29:16.44
- Nelson Pariken, freshman — ninth, 29:37.27
- Ezekiel Pitireng, sophomore — 11th, 29:44.53
- Carson Burian, graduate student — 15th, 29:58.04
- Evan Trapp, sophomore — 35th, 30:39.35
Jackson Hogsed, freshman — 73rd, 31:30.19
