Sort of astounding that the Regional CC meets have concluded and even though many teams know they have qualified by finishing first or second in a regional, fans still don't know for sure if their favorite teams have been invited to the meet on an at-large basis. We wonder why cross country and track is about to be extinct. Stuff like this.
Alabama had three of the top four finishers and those three qualified automatically for next week's championship in Louisville. But, the team finished third and did not auto-qualify. I think the team will qualify because Tulsa and Illinois beat Minnesota in a different region. Alabama is projected to finish about 29th.
Interesting side note: Alabama had the fastest average time for their top five runners.
Observation: Bama's four and five did fairly well in scoring 39 and 49 points (after removing individuals). You can't tell me, though, that Alabama can't do SOMETHING to shore up the tail end of the lineup. They did not even run a number seven. Let me repeat that: THEY DID NOT RUN A NUMBER SEVEN. I'm not being critical of the hard work and dedication that our 4 and 5 put in, it's just that they should be our 6 and 7. I'm very well aware how scholarship money works in track and cc. You can't tell me though that Alabama can't coach a decent walk-on runner or two to a faster time than what we got on Saturday on our home course. With a solid four and five Bama competes for a national title. It's amazing to me that teams win the cross country national title and consist entirely of American born runners while teams that recruit from Kenya often fail to qualify for nationals. No knock on our top three, but our coaching staff is failing.
Ole Miss won the women's division. One of my former runners was in the top ten. Sorry for the rant.
Alabama had three of the top four finishers and those three qualified automatically for next week's championship in Louisville. But, the team finished third and did not auto-qualify. I think the team will qualify because Tulsa and Illinois beat Minnesota in a different region. Alabama is projected to finish about 29th.
Interesting side note: Alabama had the fastest average time for their top five runners.
Observation: Bama's four and five did fairly well in scoring 39 and 49 points (after removing individuals). You can't tell me, though, that Alabama can't do SOMETHING to shore up the tail end of the lineup. They did not even run a number seven. Let me repeat that: THEY DID NOT RUN A NUMBER SEVEN. I'm not being critical of the hard work and dedication that our 4 and 5 put in, it's just that they should be our 6 and 7. I'm very well aware how scholarship money works in track and cc. You can't tell me though that Alabama can't coach a decent walk-on runner or two to a faster time than what we got on Saturday on our home course. With a solid four and five Bama competes for a national title. It's amazing to me that teams win the cross country national title and consist entirely of American born runners while teams that recruit from Kenya often fail to qualify for nationals. No knock on our top three, but our coaching staff is failing.
Ole Miss won the women's division. One of my former runners was in the top ten. Sorry for the rant.
