Troy University Athletics
Troy University
University of Alabama
Trojans Head Into Crimson Classic Ready For The Challenge
9/16/2010 3:54:44 PM | Cross Country
Troy is taking numerous runners this week on both the men's and women's side
TROY, Ala. - After two successful weeks, the Troy Cross Country team is heading to Tuscaloosa for the first big challenge of the season at the Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama.
The Trojans will be lead into the race on Saturday by Enock Kirui, with two wins already under his belt this season, and Sylvia Chirchir, who has recorded top five finishes in each of her first two races.
“Our top runners, Kirui and Chichir, ran in the Classic last year," Director of Track and Field Jill Lancaster said. "We are looking for them to be leaders for the team going into Tuscaloosa,”
Kirui will be running on a tougher course than he has in the first two weeks, and he has trained for that this season.
“Enock Kirui will be challenged for the first time this weekend,” coach Stephane Hetherington said. “Knowing this, he is calm, confident and secure in our plan for him to run to his maximum potential against such great competition. I believe that Sylvia Chirchir's strength and talent will be more evident on Saturday than it has been so far."
The Crimson Classic is an 8K race for the men and a 5K race for the women with competition high on both sides. The men will be running at 8:45 and the women will begin at 9:15.
“The depth of talent will be much more than we have seen this season when we head up there this weekend,” Lancaster said. “We definitely feel they are prepared and look forward to their continued success as both teams improve each week."
On the men's side the competition is going to be fierce as the host team, Alabama, is ranked fifth nationally and first in the South region.
The Classic also includes seventh-ranked Auburn, Texas A&M which is ranked sixth in the South Central region, Kennesaw State which is ranked 10th in the South region and Ole Miss.
There are several ranked teams on the women's side, which include the Crimson Tide women's team which is ranked fifth in the South region. Other teams include Auburn which is ranked seventh in the South region, Nicholls State ranked 13th in the South Central region, Samford ranked 15th in the South region, and Tulane ranked 14th in the South Central region.
“We've chosen a selection of our best runners to represent us this weekend in Tuscaloosa,” Hetherington said. "I am very excited to see how we stack up against many of the best teams in the Region."
