Dan Waters, Doris Lemngole Collect USTFCCCA South Region Honors

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama cross country head coach Dan Waters and junior phenom Doris Lemngole were named the South Region Men's Coach of the Year and the Women's Athlete of the Year, respectively, announced by the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association.

In his 15^th year at the helm, Waters led the UA men's (sixth) and women's (16^th) squads to two top-20 finishes at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships and an additional pair of top-two finishes at the Southeastern Conference Championships, highlighted by the men's second conference title in four years.

A mere two months after finishing fifth at the World Championships (3,000m steeplechase | Kenya), Lemngole used a late-race breakaway at the NCAA Championships to secure her third national title of the 2025 calendar year. The standout junior clocked a meet and course record-time of 18:25.4 to defend her individual championship crown, becoming the first back-to-back winner in the women's 6k race in 14 years.

Dan Waters - USTFCCCA South Region Men's Coach of the Year

Directed the UA men to a sixth-place national finish - the highest for the team since 2009 and the best finish in Waters' tenure at Alabama
Guided the Tide to their ninth regional championship in program history
Led Alabama to the program's fifth SEC men's title and second in four years
Named the Dave Walker South Region Men's Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career and third in four years since directing Alabama
- 2025 - Alabama
- 2024 - Alabama
- 2022 - Alabama
- 2003 - Georgia

Doris Lemngole - USTFCCCA South Region Women's Athlete of the Year

Named South Region Athlete of the Year for the second straight season by the organization
- First UA women's student-athlete to go back-to-back since Mercy Chelangat (2020, 2021)
Set a meet and course record at the NCAA Championships (18:25.4) to defend her individual national title
Defended her individual title at the SEC Championships (19:32.37), finishing over 15 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher
Awarded first-team All-SEC honors and All-America honors for her championship-winning performances
Helped guide UA to its second top-two team finish at SECs in as many seasons
Ended her 2025 track and field season in September where she made her World Championships debut with a fifth-place finish in the women's steeplechase final, representing Kenya

University of Alabama Athletics