TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Freshman Mary Mac Collins and sophomore Gené Coetzee led the Auburn women's cross country team to a second-place finish at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Friday. Coetzee finished with a time of 20:35.90 and Collins's crossed in 20:44.20 gave both a top-20 finish at the Harry Pritchett Running Park.
Of the 24 teams that competed in the women's 6k race, Auburn took home runners up spot with 131 points, while the Tiger men were seventh of 21 teams with 155 points.
Coetzee was the Tigers' top finisher, crossing in 13th place, her third top AU finish of the season. A Tuscaloosa native, Collins had a memorable homecoming, running in her first collegiate 6k to finish 20th overall.
"I thought Mary Mac ran our best executed race of the meet," said Auburn cross country coach Aaron Kindt. "She stayed composed and methodically worked her way through the crowd, locking down a top 20 finish."
Following closely behind Collins was junior Hallie Porterfield (20:58.70), freshman Ava McIntosh (20:59.80) and junior Hannah Thuss (21:03.20) to finish the top 5 for the women.
"Ava also bounced back in a big way," Kindt said. "She got out to a really strong start, and you could tell she wasn't going to let anything stop her from having a strong day. Hannah Thuss also had a bounce-back performance that rounded out a solid overall meet for the women."
On the men's side, the team upset No. 19 Florida State behind senior Ryan Kinnane's third place finish in 23:44.10. Fellow senior Carson Bedics finished 12th with a time of 24:08.30, juniors Louis O'Loughlin (24:53.90) and Cooper Atkins (24:56.60), and freshman Fuji Anday (25:03.70) were 44th, 48th and 59th, respectively.
"At this point you start to run out of things to say about the performances Ryan has been putting together, not just this season, but the last two years." Said Kindt. "He's been sensational and is one of the best to do it in an Auburn uniform. Carson had one his best days as an Auburn Tiger and is one of the hardest working guys on this team. It was great to see him have a meet like today. Carson and Ryan really picked us up when our team overall was having a tough outing."
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Tigers set their sights on conference and regional meets.
"Overall, I am pleased where both teams are heading into championship season. All our goals are still in front of us, and we head into this phase with a lot to be excited about."
Up Next
Auburn will compete in the SEC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27 in South Carolina.
2023 Crimson Classic
Harry Pritchett Running Park
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Auburn Women's Individual Results (6k)
2. Auburn, 131 points
Auburn Women's Individual Results
13. Gené Coetzee, 20:35.90
20. Mary Mac Collins, 20:44.20
29. Hallie Porterfield, 20:58.70
31. Ava McIntosh, 20:59.80
38. Hannah Thuss, 21:03.20
56. Shelby Balding, 21:16.90
62. Cady McPhail, 21:23.70
70. Audrey Dunn, 21:28.90
146. Hailey Marston, 22:42.10
Men's Results (8k)
7. Auburn, 155 points
Auburn Men's Individual Results
3. Ryan Kinnane, 23:44.10
12. Carson Bedics, 24:08.30
44. Louis O'Loughlin, 24:53.90
48. Cooper Atkins, 24:56.60
59. Fuji Anday, 25:03.70
89. Joseph Perry, 25:30.30
109. Ethan Snyder, 25:47.90
118. Benson Atkins, 25:58.80
125. Dustyn Lewis, 26:05.40