The Crimson Tide men’s cross country team claimed one of 13 at-large berths to the field of 31 qualifying teams for the Nov. 23 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., the NCAA announced Saturday.
Alabama finished third at the NCAA South Regional on Friday, narrowly missing a top-two finish that would have earned an automatic qualification, but earned one of 13 at-large berths in the national meet.
This season Alabama has been led by graduates Gilbert Kigen and Vincent Kiprop. The duo swept the top two spots at the SEC Championships (Nov. 1), with Kiprop taking the individual title and Kigen clocking in next as Alabama finished second in the team standings. Most recently, Kigen captured his second NCAA South Region individual crown (Nov. 16) with Kiprop taking runner-up and freshman Noel Rotich placing sixth to fuel the Tide’s third-place finish.
The team appearance will be the second in past three seasons after the Tide earned an at-large bid in 2017. The NCAA Championships will be hosted by Indiana State University at the Lavern Gibson Course in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Nov. 23.