HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Senior Ryan Kinnane and sophomore Gené Coetzee led the Auburn cross country teams to second place finishes for both the men's and women's at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville Alabama, Friday.
Led by Kinnane, the men finished with 81 points to outdistance No. 23 nationally ranked Alabama and Kentucky, who finished second and third in the team standings. The women had 87 points and upset No. 13 ranked Alabama who finished fourth with 108 points.
"Today was a big team day for both squads. Our goal this weekend was to take some risks and push toward the front of the race," Auburn cross country coach Aaron Kindt said. "We learned a good bit about our teams today and we were able to come away with some big wins."
Making his 2023 debut, Kinnane crossed men's 8k race in a personal-best time of 23:19.90 to take first place individually. Kinnane, who outdistanced the field by nearly eight seconds, recorded his first collegiate cross country victory.
"Ryan set the tone for our men's group. He was in complete control throughout and really did a nice job of executing his plan for, what is hard to believe, is his first career cross country win," Kindt said.
The next Auburn runner to cross after Kinnane was freshman Max Hardin, who was 15th overall crossing in 24:15.50. Hardin was followed by senior Carson Bedics (19th, 24:20.30), junior Cooper Atkins (22nd, 24:25.00), and freshman Fuji Anday (27th, 24:30.40).
"Max Hardin was exceptional in his first 8K race. This is one of the toughest transitions for freshmen, bumping up to this distance and Max handled it spectacularly. He is a freshman to keep an eye on this year. Carson, Cooper, and Fuji were strong in those final scoring spots, doing a great job keeping our spread tight," said Kindt. "We saw a glimpse of what this team can be this season and I think the most exciting part about this group is we left feeling like we didn't have our best day."
Making her season debut, Coetzee's silver medal performance was her top collegiate cross country finish as she cross in a time of 16:43.70.
"Gene is an aggressive runner and she established early that you had to be on your game to run with her today. She was not going to give an inch and it was a really strong performance from her," said Kindt.
Sophomore Hallie Porterfield brought home a top 10 finish as she crossed shortly after Coetzee in 16:58.90. Porterfield was soon followed by Mary Mac Collins (20th, 17:23.70) and Ava McIntosh (27th, 17:31.70). Hannah Thuss rounded out the scoring for the women with a time of 17:33.50 and a 28th-place finish.
"I thought Hallie was another one who ran a beautifully executed race plan and continues to be a steady presence for this young group. Mary Mac and Ava are two freshmen who continue to impress each week and two I think we can expect to see contribute for us throughout the year."
The Tigers will be back in action Friday, September 29 as the team travels to Boston, Massachusetts to compete in the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown.
2023 Southern Showcase
John Hunt XC Park
Huntsville, Alabama
Women's Results (5k)
2. Auburn, 87 pts
Auburn Women's Individual Results
2. Gene Coetzee, 16:43.70
10. Hallie Porterfield, 16:58.90
20. Mary Mac Collins, 17:23.70
27. Ava McIntosh, 17:31.70
28. Hannah Thuss, 17:33.50
40. Hannah Tarwater, 17:46.80
47. Cady McPhail, 17:52.10
53. Audrey Dunn, 17:58.80
99. Hailey Marston, 18:41.70
189. Kali Holden, 20:00.40
Men's Results (8k)
2. Auburn, 81 pts
Auburn Men's Individual Results
1. Ryan Kinnane, 23:19.90
15. Max Hardin, 24:15.50
19. Carson Bedics, 24:20.30
22. Cooper Atkins, 24:25.00
27. Fuji Anday, 24:30.40
32. Louis O'Loughlin, 24:39.50
50. Joseph Perry, 24:52.30
54. Dustyn Lewis, 24:56.50
79. Benson Atkins, 25:21.40
80. Ethan Snyder, 25:21.60
85. Hayden Judge, 25:28.50
Evan Hill, DNF