NEW ORLEANS – Alabama Cross Country Then water was voted NCAA South Region Women’s Head Coach of the Year, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Monday.
The honor marks the third year in a row that Waters has been in his 12th yearth Year with the Crimson Tide, earned regional Cross Country honors.
Alabama head coach Then water said
“This award is all about the success our women’s program has achieved this season. Our student-athletes and coaches have worked very hard for a long time to get us to this point. Trainer Will Palmer, Samantha Palmer and Ethan Meidrich have put so much into this team and the results have been remarkable. I’m very proud of what our women have been able to accomplish this fall and how they’ve represented Alabama from meeting them all through to a podium finish at the NCAA Championships.”
The Crimson Tide Women in 2022
- As a team, Alabama finished third at the 2022 NCAA Championships with 166 points, the Crimson Tide’s best finish in program history and the first trip to the podium for the women’s team
- It was also Alabama’s third top 10 finish after sixth place in 1987 and eighth place of the 2020 season
- The NCAA Championships capped an exceptional season for the Crimson Tide women, who took home their first NCAA trophy (top four teams stand on the podium and deserve a trophy) after claiming their first Southeastern Conference title since 1987 and won the first NCAA South Regional Championships since 1986
- The top four women from the Alabama program earned a spot on the 2022 Cross Country All-America list
- Mercy Chelangat earned her third All-America honors for cross country Flomena Asekol and Amaris Tyynisma both took home the honor for the second time and Hilda Olemomoi received the award for the first time
- Alabama’s best single-season total to date was three in the 2020 season, when Chelangat, who won the national title that season, Tyynismaa, who finished third, and Esther Gitahi, who finished 36th, all earned All-American recognition
- The Alabama women were the only team, men or women, at the 2022 NCAA Championships to have four runners in the individual top-20
- Olemomoi finished sixth (19:45.6), Tyynismaa (19:48.2) ninth, Asekol (19:56.5) 14th and Chelangat (19:58.4) crossed at the National Championships in Stillwater, Okla. the finish line as 16.
- It was the women’s third consecutive top 15 finish after finishing eighth in 2020 and 15th in 2021
- All five members of UA who scored five goals throughout the postseason earned NCAA All-South Region honors, including Asekol, Chelangat, Machan, Olemomoi and Tyynismaa
- Alabama has had four First Team All-SEC recognitions including Chelangat, Olemomoi, Tyynismaa and Asekol
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