TUSCALOOSA – Heading into the Crimson Classic, Samford University cross-country coach Pat McGregor said he hoped to see his Bulldogs finish ahead of prominent teams from the Power 5 conferences.  

On Friday morning, they delivered.

Propelled by a trio of top-20 finishes from Arsène Guillorel, Brandon Hazouri and Ben Bryant, the Samford men claimed a fourth-place team finish with 148 points. The Bulldogs placed ahead of Auburn (sixth), Georgia Tech (seventh), Alabama (eighth) and Tennessee (13th), respectively.

"I was very pleased with the guys' performance. They really worked well together and didn't blow up," McGregor said. "They hung in there, and we beat Auburn, which was good, and Alabama. I was very happy with that."

Guillorel led the men's team with a fifth-place individual finish. The junior from Pontchateau, France, clocked an 8K time of 24 minutes, 36.4 seconds on a hilly course at Alabama's Harry Pritchett Running Park.

Hazouri, a redshirt senior, and Bryant, a sophomore, both crossed the line within 33 seconds of Guillorel. Hazouri posted a time of 24:54.4 to place 12th, and Bryant registered a time of 25:09.1 to place 20th.  Notably, Hazouri's mark was only one second shy of a personal best.

Freshman Dillon Dean and junior Paul Richardson capped the team's scoring five. Dean finished 60th in 25:54.6, and Richardson finished 85th in 26:11.6.
Shorter's Alfred Chelanga took first place individually in 23:47.4. The Kentucky men won the team race with 70 points.

"I know what these guys are capable of in the future, and we will continue to look forward," McGregor said of his men.

The Samford women, meanwhile, notched a ninth-place finish behind the efforts of juniors Karisa Nelson and Emma Garner. Nelson placed seventh in the 6K race with a personal-best time 20:55.9, and Garner placed 11th in a personal-best 21:07.2.

"They maximized their potential for the day," McGregor said of his front-running duo. "If I have an expectation, that's it."

Anna Long, also a junior, finished third on the team behind Nelson and Garner. Her time of 21:48.4 was good for 48th place.

Freshmen Mary Grace Strozier and Shian Mallory rounded out the team's scoring five. Making their 6K debuts, Strozier placed 98th in 22:39.2 and Mallory placed 177th in 23:47.9.

"On both the guys and girls teams, it's going to take a lot from our fourth and fifth runners on both sides, and that's going to be the difference," McGregor said. "We're heavy on top on both girls and guys, but it's going to take our fourth runner and fifth runner to get it done for us at the conference meet."

The Bulldog women tallied 259 points, while Alabama totaled 76 points to clinch the team title. Kentucky's Katy Kunc secured the individual victory in 20:15.2.

Friday's meet represented the Bulldogs' final racing opportunity prior to the Southern Conference Cross Country Championships, which will be held Oct. 29 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

McGregor said he expects both squads to be ready to roll when they take the starting line.

"They're going to be a different animal in two weeks just because we'll be a little bit more rested," McGregor said. "We definitely trained through this thing."