SEC cross country notebook

Alabama
Men
The No. 6 Alabama men's cross country team competed at the Pre-NCAA Championships. The Crimson Tide was led by junior Tyson David who also claimed the individual title covering the 8,000 meter course in 23:30.10. David was followed closely by All-American senior Augustus Maiyo (23:39.60) and junior Emmanuel Bor (23:48.40) in fifth and ninth place, respectively. Senior Abraham Kutingala (24:12.00) finished in 31st and sophomore Andrew Kirwa (24:24.00) rounded out the top five for the team in 43rd place. Freshman Zac Edwards also finished the race in 148th with a time of 25:16.20. The Crimson Tide will take a week off before beginning the championship portion of the season. The squad will compete at the SEC Championships on Nov. 3 in Starkville, Miss.

Women
The Alabama women's cross country team competed at the 20th Annual Chile Pepper Festival at the University of Arkansas Cross Country Course. The Crimson Tide finished 12th overall and were led once again by standout freshman Sara Vaughn. She posted a time of 21:03.31 in her first 6k of her career crossing the line in 18th place. Vaughn was closely followed by fellow freshman Kelsey Johnson who finished with a time of 21:15.64 (21st). Both times rank as the third and fourth fastest 6k times in school history. Twins Sarah (22:52.92) and Leigh Gilmore (23:07.08) finished 110th and 123rd, respectively. Andrea Torske rounded out the top five for the team coming through in 131st with a time of 23:14.43. Other finishers for the Tide were Haley Moody (23:30.97) and Rue Chitwood (24:01.01) who finished 153rd and 184th, respectively. Megan Williams finished with a time of 24:04.72 in 185th place. The Crimson Tide will take a week off before beginning the championship portion of the season. The squad will compete at the SEC Championships on Nov. 3 in Starkville, Miss.

Arkansas
Men
-With a top-10 finish from senior Scott MacPherson, Arkansas Razorback men’s cross country earned a runner-up finish at the 20th annual Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday morning.

-Texas A&M topped the 30-team field with 52 points. The Razorbacks were a close second with 75 points and Lamar rounded out the top three with 120 points. Arkansas finished three harriers in top 20, four in the top 33 and its scoring five in the top 36.

-MacPherson, a senior from Plano, Texas, finished seventh overall, sixth among collegians and was the first Razorback to cross the finish line in the 257-man field. He was also the first American collegiate to cross the finish line with former Razorback Seth Summerside finishing in sixth place. He clocked a 10K time of 29:32.13 in just his second race of the 2008 season. His time is a personal best by nearly eight seconds (29:39.3 in 2007).

-Daniel LaCava, improving dramatically from his last outing, was the second Razorback to finish as he caught teammate Andy McClary at the line. He clocked a 10,000-meter time of 30:10.03, a new personal best by more than a minute (31:18.8 in 2007). He finished 17th overall and 13th among collegians. La Cava was the second SEC runner to finish and he ranked seventh among South Central Region runners.

-Andy McClary, making his much anticipated Razorback debut, was the third Hog to cross the finish line. He did so in a 10K time of 30:10.35. He finished third among the SEC runners and eighth among the regional competition.

Women
-In front of an enthusiastic home crowd, the Arkansas Razorback women’s cross country team earned a runner-up finish at the 20th annual Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday morning.

-For the second year in a row, Texas Tech’s powerful punch, including two-time NCAA Cross Country Champion Sally Kipyego, was too much for the Razorbacks. In the 39-team field, Texas Tech won the team race with 72 points. Arkansas was second with 101 points and SMU rounded out the top three with 139 points.

-For the third race this season, sophomore Catherine White was the top finisher for the Razorbacks. She finished seventh overall in the field of 306 harriers. She was the top Southeastern Conference runner to cross the finish line and the second South Central Region runner to finish. She clocked a 6,000-meter time of 20:32.84, just shy of her personal best (20:30.55).

-Making a strong push at the finish, Denise Bargiachi was the second Razorback to cross the line. She placed 16th overall with a 6K time of 21:02.11. She was the second SEC runner to finish and was fifth among South Central Region competitors.

-Right behind Bargiachi was Christine Kalmer in 17th place. She clocked a time of 21:03.31 as Arkansas’ third runner. Arkansas’ fourth runner, Jillian Rosen, earned a 25th-place finish overall with her 6K time of 21:29.89.

Auburn
-- Auburn's Holly Knight and Felix Kibioywo each captured runner-up honors on Oct. 18 at the prestigious Pre-National meet in Terre Haute, Ind. The Tiger men, ranked 16th nationally, had three runners finish among the top 20 en route to a fourth-place team finish with 194 points. The women placed 18th with 498 points.

-- Knight edged Washington's Kendra Schaaf 20:13.4 to 20:14.7 to finish as the Blue Race runner-up. North Carolina's Brianna Felnagle won the race in 20:02.4.

-- Knight improved upon her performance at the Tiger Invitational on Oct. 4. Facing a highly regarded Washington team, the sophomore Tiger finished fourth behind Schaaf and a pair of other Huskies. It was Knight who was able to take the upper hand Saturday by beating all three of the Washington runners across the line.

-- Amber Riley and Laurel Pritchard crossed the line next for Auburn for finishes of 92nd and 93rd, respectively. Riley completed the course in 21:44.4, followed by Pritchard a second later at 21:45.4.

-- The fourth Tiger across the line was Sabrina Fischer, coming across the line 112th in 21:58.7. Becca Bell was the 201st runner to finish in 22:49.6, followed by Allison Smith at in 23:29.4 for a 241st finish. Cathryn Albright rounded out Auburn's efforts, finishing in 278th in 26:14.2.

-- The potent men's trio of Kibioywo, Mecheso and Kibet all placed among the top 20. Kibioywo, who ran the same course a year ago at the NCAA Championships, led the way for the Tigers with a runner-up performance. Kibioywo finished the 8K course in 23:35.50 and was 44 seconds behind the individual champion, Samuel Chelanga of Liberty. Mecheso was only two seconds behind Kibioywo in fifth place at 23:37.50. Just outside of the top 10 was Kibet with an 11th-place finish, crossing the line in 23:46.20.

-- Scott Novack was the fourth Tiger to finish, taking 58th place in 24:30.10. Auburn's final two runners, Julian Matthews (118) and Joby Peake (158), completed the course in 25:03.20 and 25:28.20, respectively.

Florida
Men
The Florida men finished 12th at Pre-Nationals on Saturday, led by senior Jeremy Criscione (Interlachen, Fla.). Criscione placed sixth and clocked an 8K time of 23:38.7, setting a new Florida record. He beat his old record, set at last year's Pre-Nationals meet, by three-tenths of a second. The junior class had another strong showing, as Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.) placed 44th overall, second for the Gators, in a new personal-best time of 224:22.1. Sean Blaney (Kissammee, Fla.) crossed the finish line 50th, followed by Aaron Kindt (Orlando, Fla.) in 108th and sophomore Anthony Morales (Palm Coast, Fla.) in 120th.

Women
The Florida women earned their highest finish ever at the Pre-NCAA Invitational, coming in fifth. Senior Jacy Kruzel (Cooper City, Fla.) led the way, placing 22nd in 20:52.3. Her top-25 finish was the highest finish by a Gator woman in this meet. She was followed by freshman Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia), who placed 32nd in 21:05.4, the seventh-fastest 6K time by a UF female. She also earned the highest finish by a Gator freshman. Next came sophomore Ali Crabb (St. Petersburg, Fla.) who was just behind LaCaze, finishing 35th in 21:07.5, the eighth-fastest time in Florida record books. The two other Gators to score for Florida were sophomore Charlotte Browning (West Sussex, England) and senior Sara Petrick (Apollo Beach, Fla.), who set a new personal best time.

Georgia
Women
The Lady Bulldogs were second from the conference and tied for 16th overall after scoring 467 points at the NCAA Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. Senior Natalie Picchetti led the charge for Georgia after taking 33rd with a 6K time of 21:05.9. After taking the summer off, senior Kiah Vernon continued her return to the top of the Lady Bulldog lineup after registering a time of 21:53.2 for 101st place. Georgia's final three scorers were junior Bridget Lyons (108th - 21:55.6), sophomore Jennifer Barbi (4th -110th) and sophomore Kylie Foley (115th - 22:02.4). Although battling a cold, freshman Kristie Krueger finished 186th (22:39.7) during her first trip to Terre Haute. The Lady Bulldogs return to action at the SEC Championships in Starkville, Miss., on Nov. 3.

Men
Georgia traveled to Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Pre-Nationals and returned to Athens with a 39th-place finish. With three of their top runners - senior Ross Ridgewell, juniors Caleb Vogt and Brian Potts - sitting the race out, freshman J.P. Hackney was the Bulldogs' top finisher after taking 191st (25:39.5) in the 8K race. Junior Corey Hunter was the next Georgia runner across the finish line after taking 196th place with a time of 25:41.7. Senior Dustin Tetley also scored with a 201st-place finish (25:44.2) while senior Jesse Marino and freshman Miles Svoboda rounded out the top five. This was the first NCAA Pre-Nationals that any of Georgia's six runners had ever competed in during their careers. The Bulldogs return to action at the SEC Championships in Starkville, Miss., on Nov. 3.

Kentucky
Men
The UK men finished seventh out of 28 teams competing at the Penn State National Invitational on the Blue and White Golf Course in State College, Pa., last weekend. Sophomore Adam Henken led the men with a sixth-place finish over the course measuring just over five miles. Henken's time of 25:26 was well under a five-minute pace for the course. Junior Jeremy Zagorski finished second for the Wildcats in 35th with a time of 26:04. Freshman Colin Heenan continued his impressive rookie campaign by crossing the line in 26:12; good for 46th overall. Senior Bruce Hordusky (63rd - 26:29) and freshman John Luttrell (67th - 26:31) closed out the scoring for the UK men. The Blue and White placed seventh overall with 217 points; just 10 out of sixth place. Over the next two weeks, Kentucky will prepare for the SEC Championships hosted by Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., on Monday, Nov. 3.

Women
The Wildcats finished sixth out of 28 teams competing at the Penn State National Invitational on the Blue and White Golf Course in State College, Pa., last weekend. Three seniors led the charge for the Kentucky women at Penn State with Jessica Ortman crossing the finish first for the Wildcats for the fourth consecutive meet. The senior's 6K time of 21:09 paced the squad. Jenna Ortman finished steps behind Jessica in 23rd place, clocking in at 21:13. Classmate Andrea Halasek followed soon after taking home 29th place with a mark of 21:19. Sophomore Katherine Peterson placed 34th overall in a time of 21:25. Junior Lindsay Petri was the final scoring position for the Wildcats turning in the 62nd marker with a time of 22:02. The spread for UK's top five runners was 53 seconds and all ran personal-best 6K times. The Wildcat women placed sixth overall with 167 points; just 13 out of fourth place. Over the next two weeks, Kentucky will prepare for the SEC Championships hosted by Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., on Monday, Nov. 3.

LSU
Did not report

Ole Miss
With an opportunity to run the course for which the upcoming NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held, the Ole Miss men's and women's cross country teams both raced to a 38th place finish Saturday morning at Pre-Nationals hosted by Indiana State University. Rebel senior Kyle Lewis was the top finisher for the men as he turned in a 71st place finish in the Men's 8k White Race with a

time of 24:40.60. Junior Gabriel Ngwiri finished second for the Rebels and 165th overall with his time of 25:26.40. Chad Berry posted a time of 26:29.30 and finished third for Ole Miss and 241st

overall, while freshman Josh Porter was 265th with his time of 28:46.20. Sophomore Alejandro Quintana rounded out the Rebel runners with a time of 29:35.40 en route to a 266th place finish. Freshman Logan Waites finished first for the Rebels for the fourth straight meet as she posted a time of 23:18 en route to a 220th place finish in the Women's 5k White Race. Sophomore Julie Little took second for the Rebels and 236th overall with her time of 23:38. Sophomore Allison Kneip raced to a 247th place finish and was third for Ole Miss with her time of 23:51. Junior Anna Adams finished in 259th place and recorded a time of 24:36, while senior Lindsay Doucett was fifth for the Rebels and 260th overall with a time of 24:43. Freshman Jamie McCulloch posted a time of 25:59 and finished in 267th place. Ole Miss returns to action Nov. 3 when the Rebels travel to Starkville, Miss., to compete at the SEC Championships.

Mississippi State
Mississippi State’s men’s and women’s cross country teams finished 26th and 33rd, respectively, Saturday afternoon at the 2008 Pre-National Invitational in Terre Herre Haute, Ind. Freshman Renee Masterson paced the Lady Bulldogs, running a time of 22:02.8 in the 6K event, with Lydia Chebii close behind at 22:20.9. On the men’s side, the team finished 26th. The men were led by sophomore Adam Lenz, who crossed the 8K finish line at 24:22.4, just edging out senior Robert Scribner at 24:22.9.

South Carolina
The South Carolina cross country team raced in its first 6,000-meter race of the season. The Gamecocks finished 39th in the women's 6,000-meter Blue Race at the 2008 Pre-Nationals. Freshman Beatrice Biwott led the Gamecocks for the fourth straight time this season to finish 141st with a time of 22:17.

Tennessee
Men
The Tennessee men's cross country team ran to a 22nd-place finish Saturday in the Blue Race at the 8K ISU Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. Sophomore Michael Spooner was the top finisher among Vols in 45th place with a personal-best time of 24:24.8. Spooner was followed closely across the line by senior Andrew Press, who placed 52nd. Junior Chris Rapp was the third UT finisher in 140th and senior Steve Tobin was one-tenth of a second behind him in 141st place. The final Volunteer to score for the team was junior Mike Brodsky in 152nd place. The team as a whole made improvements over their performance in the same race a season ago. The Vols’ 2008 point total was 188 points lower than their 2007 total and the time spread between their first and fifth finisher fell from more than a minute to 54.9 seconds. Tennessee will rest the weekend of Oct. 25 before running in the SEC Championship on Monday, Nov. 3 in Starkville, Miss.

Women
The Lady Vols came away from the Penn State National meet with a fifth-place finish out of 28 teams on Oct. 17…Tennessee tallied 162 points to fall in line behind No. 7 West Virginia, No. 20 Penn State, No. 25 Wake Forest and No. 28 Duke…UT’s total was five points better than SEC foe Kentucky, which wound up in sixth place…For the third time this season and the 12th time in her career, senior Sarah Bowman led the club from Rocky Top to the finish chute…As in 2007, she crossed the line fifth, doing so this time in an SEC-leading 20:24 against a field of 300 runners…Junior Jackie Areson and sophomore Brittany Sheffey were UT’s second and third runners for the second straight meet, placing 31st and 37th in 21:22 and 21:27, respectively…They extended their personal streaks of scoring in races for the Big Orange to 14 and 10, respectively…The Lady Vols now stand 71-11 on the campaign, including a 2-1 mark vs. SEC schools.

Vanderbilt
Rita Jorgensen , VU sophomore, set another personal best mark in the White Race of the Pre-Nationals meet in Terre Haute, Ind., this morning. Jorgensen finished in the top-40 of 280-plus runners, crossing the timeline at 21:12. The women's cross country team placed 27th (652) among 39 teams in their 6k race on Saturday. Nationally-ranked No. 13 Florida State (89), Princeton (89), No. 9 Michigan (168), Illinois (186) and No. 8 Georgetown (186) rounded out the top-five teams in the meet. The men's team also traveled to Terre Haute this weekend. They competed in the Men's Open Race Saturday afternoon. Rob Whiting led the Commodores with a 58th-place finish at (25:55.4). Michael Nordlund (26:27.2), Kyle Rewick (26:30.1), Thomas Davis (26:39.3) and James Kasten (26:53.5) composed VU's top-five qualifiers.