COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Florida Gators Women’s and Men’s Cross Country finished third and twelfth respectively at the 2024 SEC Cross Country Championships at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course in College Station, Texas on Friday morning.
Hilda Olemomoi was the second runner to cross the finish line, a career-best finish at an SEC Championship after finishing third each of the last two seasons. Her 18:25.0 time was well ahead of the previous course record of 18:37.0.
Her efforts were backed up by a procession of finishers, with Beth Morley, Tia Wilson, Allison Wilson and Gabrielle Schmidt rounding out Florida’s point total, each finishing within a 3.2 second period.
On the Men’s side, Ethan Geiger finished 35th with a 23:36.1 time, becoming the Gators’ top scorer at the conference championships for the second consecutive season. Like the women, a tight pack rounded out the Gator’s team score, with Josh Ruiz, Riley Novack, Michael Fiore, and Matthew Stratton all finishing in quick succession.
All of the Gators’ men’s finishers climbed up multiple spots from their positions out of the start, with Geiger staging a comeback from 83rd at the 2k mark all the way up to 35th, and Novack and Ruiz climbing from the hundreds tho their respective 76th and 66th place finishes.
The Gators will next compete in Tallahassee at the NCAA South Regional, looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wis. The Gators finished second in the South Regional last season en route to a program-best fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Results
Hilda Olemomoi was the second runner to cross the finish line, a career-best finish at an SEC Championship after finishing third each of the last two seasons. Her 18:25.0 time was well ahead of the previous course record of 18:37.0.
Her efforts were backed up by a procession of finishers, with Beth Morley, Tia Wilson, Allison Wilson and Gabrielle Schmidt rounding out Florida’s point total, each finishing within a 3.2 second period.
On the Men’s side, Ethan Geiger finished 35th with a 23:36.1 time, becoming the Gators’ top scorer at the conference championships for the second consecutive season. Like the women, a tight pack rounded out the Gator’s team score, with Josh Ruiz, Riley Novack, Michael Fiore, and Matthew Stratton all finishing in quick succession.
All of the Gators’ men’s finishers climbed up multiple spots from their positions out of the start, with Geiger staging a comeback from 83rd at the 2k mark all the way up to 35th, and Novack and Ruiz climbing from the hundreds tho their respective 76th and 66th place finishes.
The Gators will next compete in Tallahassee at the NCAA South Regional, looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wis. The Gators finished second in the South Regional last season en route to a program-best fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Results
Team Finishes
Men
Arkansas (38)
Alabama (52)
Ole Miss (122)
Texas (152)
Missouri (163)
Tennessee (169)
Auburn (175)
Texas A&M (207)
Oklahoma (221)
Kentucky (319)
Georgia (272)
Florida (319)
Vanderbilt (367)
LSU (396)
Women
Alabama (72)
Tennessee (103)
Florida (122)
Arkansas (132)
Texas (150)
Ole Miss (155)
LSU (213)
Auburn (223)
Vanderbilt (253)
Texas A&M (269)
Mississippi State (273)
Oklahoma (283)
Missouri (291)
South Carolina (312)
Kentucky (318)
Georgia (487)
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