Auburn had a pair of sophomore runners show out in the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Nickson Chebii and Camilia Gomes paved the way for impressive finishes. Chebbi ran a 23:22.40 in the men’s 8k race, finishing fourth overall and Gomes finished 14th overall in the women’s 6k with a time of 20:19.00.
Auburn had respectable finishes from both the men and women racing on the Harry Pritchett Running course. The men scored 308 points finishing 11th and the women scored 191 finishing seventh. These impressive finishes were highlighted in huge part by a great young core.
Chebbi continued his great performances, finishing fourth in the 8k. He has been spectacular throughout the season and paved the way for the men in the Crimson Classic.
Another sophomore, Joshua Kosegei finished 32nd with a time of 24:51.50 and was the Tigers’ second finisher in the 8k. He followed Chebbi and helped pave the way for the men.
The two sophomores were the first two finishers for Auburn, showing that the development of the young runners and how they will impact the Tigers going forward.
For the women, Gomes made her season debut and led the Tigers, outplacing 207 other racers to finish 14th in the women’s 6k.
Other young Auburn runners that made impacts were Ava Fields, who ran a 21:58.90, Olivia Stedl with a 22:33.40 and Kennedy Hamilton with a 22:4140 in all their first 6ks. They are all freshman runners with huge futures.
Sophomore Mary Katherine Malone ran a 23:01.10 in the 6k as well continuing the trend of the talented young core making an impact.
Though the young runners showed out, the veterans also made an impact too. For the men, seniors Joseph Perry and Rex Green helped the men’s scoring effort with times of 26:46.70 and 28:29.90.
For the women, senior Gene Coetzee earned 16th overall with a 20:30.20. This marked her second time in a row finishing top two in a meet for the Tigers.
The young racers may have been the highlight of the meet leading the way for Auburn, but the veterans also made an impact at the Crimson Classic helping secure impressive finishes for both the men and the women.
The Tigers will compete in the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee on Friday, Oct. 31. They will compete at the Cherokee Farm Cross Country Course.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
