Florida Gators
SEC Championship
Women's Cross Country Finish Second at SEC Championship; Men Place Fourth
Monday, November 3, 2008 | Cross Country
The University of Florida No. 14 women's cross country team was the runner-up at the Southeastern Conference Championship on Monday morning in Starkville, Miss., behind No. 13 Arkansas by only seven points. The No. 28 men placed fourth, behind No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn and No. 26 Arkansas. The two teams finished exactly were the SEC coaches predicted before the start of the season.
The women placed second overall for their highest finish since 1999, when they were also the runners-up to the Razorbacks. Four women came in the top 10 in the 6K race and the three top finishers set new personal-best times.
“It was a good day,” Coach Todd Morgan said. “We took a shot at Arkansas and came up a little short. We give them a lot of credit because they ran an incredible race. We are anxious and ready to get the NCAA portion of the season.”
The Gators were led by sophomore Ali Crabb (St. Petersburg, Fla.) who finished fifth overall in a time of 20:42.57, which ranks fifth in Florida record books for all-time 6K times and all-time SEC Championship times.
“Ali has been improving every week, from her freshman year,” Morgan said. “It's incredible for a sophomore to finish that high. She came through big for us.”
Freshman Genevieve LaCaze (Queensland, Australia) came next, finishing sixth overall as the first freshman to cross the line. Her time of 20:49.73 ranks sixth on both Florida's all-time 6K list and SEC Championship list. Sophomore Charlotte Browning (West Sussex, England) crossed the finish line seventh overall in a time of 20:51.29. Her time ranks eighth in both record books.
Senior Jacy Kruzel (Cooper City, Fla.) finished ninth in 20:58.02 and classmate Julie Northrup (Vero Beach, Fla.) rounded out the five scoring runners, placing 26th in a time of 21:42.86, setting a new personal best.
On the men's side, senior Jeremy Criscione (Interlachen, Fla.) led the way with a seventh-place finish and set two new Florida records along the way. His 8K time of 23:35.05 garnered the top spots on the all-time 8K and SEC Championship list. He surpassed his previous 8K mark by almost three seconds, a time he set at the Pre-National meet two weeks ago. He also broke the seven-year record of 23:42.6 set by Steve Zieminski at the 2001 SEC Championship meet.
“The SEC men's division is one of the top leagues for individuals in the country,” Morgan said. “It is full of phenomenal runners and Jeremy put himself in a great spot. We are looking forward to even bigger things from him in the upcoming races.”
Junior Sean Blaney (Kissimmee, Fla.) was the next Gator to cross the finish line, placing 15th overall in a time of 24:14.7. Not only did he set a new personal best, but he now ranks fifth on Florida's all-time SEC Championship race times. Sophomore Anthony Morales (Palm Coast, Fla.) finished 24th in 24:50.82, eclipsing his personal best time by 12 seconds.
The fourth Gator to score was junior Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.), who crossed the finish line 26th in 24:54.29. Classmate James Uthmeier (Destin, Fla.) scored for the first time this year as the fifth UF runner in, placing 36th in a time of 25:11.88, another new personal best.
“Anthony is showing what a solid runner he has become,” Morgan said. “He is really coming into his own. James had an unbelieveable day. Looking at the overall board, he probably had the biggest breakthrough of all the runners. He and Charlotte [Browning] really stepped up today and went above and beyond what they were asked to do.”
Arkansas's Catherine White was the top finisher of the day, coming in 20:07.26. The Razorback scored 46 points, while the Gators tallied 53. Florida was followed by Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn.
On the men's side, Auburn's Girma Mesecho finished first in a record time of 23:11.26, becoming the fastest male to win the SEC individual title since 1986, when the distance of the race was increased to eight kilometers.
The Florida Gators will compete in the South Regional in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 15. The top two teams in this race earn automatic bids to the NCAA Championship in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 24.
Women's 6K Results
| Arkansas | 46 |
| Florida | 53 |
| Tennessee | 107 |
| Georgia | 117 |
| Auburn | 127 |
| Kentucky | 134 |
| Alabama | 170 |
| Vanderbilt | 177 |
| Mississippi State | 252 |
| South Carolina | 262 |
| Ole Miss | 333 |
| LSU | 341 |
Florida Women's Individual Results
| 5. Ali Crabb | 20:42.57 |
| 6. Genevieve LaCaze | 20:49.73 |
| 7. Charlotte Browning | 20:51.29 |
| 9. Jacy Kruzel | 20:58.02 |
| 26. Julie Northrup | 21:42.86 |
| 36. Sara Petrick | 22:02.97 |
| 39. Kaitlin Shiver | 22:06.07 |
| 44. Laura Garrow | 22:25.51 |
| 60. Hailey Neal | 23:05.21 |
Women's Individual Champion
| Catherine White, Arkansas | 20:07.26 |
Men's 8K Results
| Alabama | 32 |
| Auburn | 62 |
| Arkansas | 75 |
| Florida | 107 |
| Tennessee | 130 |
| Mississippi State | 186 |
| Kentucky | 192 |
| Georgia | 227 |
| Ole Miss | 245 |
| LSU | 257 |
| Vanderbilt | 292 |
Florida Men's Individual Results
| 7. Jeremy Criscione | 23:35.05 |
| 15. Sean Blaney | 24:14.70 |
| 24. Anthony Morales | 24:50.82 |
| 26. Justin Taylor | 24:54.29 |
| 36. James Uthmeier | 25:11.88 |
| 41. Michael Anderson | 25:23.82 |
| 45. Matt Hensley | 25:33.42 |
| 50. Geoffrey Anderson | 25:40.94 |
| 56. Aaron Kindt | 25:47.94 |
| 71. Al Matheny | 26:13.16 |
Men's Individual Champion
| Girma Mesecho, Auburn | 23:11.26 |
