UNCP’s Kipkoech 60th, Augusta 23rd at NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships
RESULTS
EVANSVILLE, IND – UNC Pembroke’s Silus Kipkoech finished 60th running as an individual while the Augusta University men’s cross country team finished 23rd at the NCAA men’s cross country championships on Saturday in Evansville.
The UNCP freshman registered a 10K time of 32:19.2 to finish 60th out of 249 runners at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Ind.
Kikpkoech's mark is the 17th-fastest mark in program history and he now owns two of the top 20 marks in school history after registering a 10K time of 31:23.55 on the way to claiming the 2017 NCAA Southeast Region championship just two weeks ago.
Saturday's race capped a monumental rookie season for the Eldoret, Kenya, native who had already claimed a slew of honors including All-Peach Belt Conference and PBC Runner of the Year. Kipkoech also captured all-region and Southeast Region Runner of the Year accolades from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
He had also won five-straight races heading into Saturday's event including top billing at both the PBC and NCAA Southeast Region Championships.
Competing as a team for just the second time in school history, Augusta finished 23rd of 32 teams at the championships.
Hosted by the University of Southern Indiana and the Evansville Sports Corporation, the 2017 NCAA Championships featured a 10K with 32 of the nation's best teams. Adams State won the event with 44 points, Grand Valley State was second. Colorado Mines third, Western State fourth, and Cal Baptist fifth for the top scoring teams.
Tiffin's James Ngandu won the race in 30:18.8 – averaging a 6:05.9 mile time to best the 249-man competition.
The race was the final competition for Augusta seniors Dylan Forester and Joshua Thompson. Forester fought for 65th overall and led the Jaguars with a time of 32:22.9.
AU junior Daniel Broadhead crossed the line in 33:17.9 to take 124th, Noah Hulett notched 146th (33:37.0), Jacob Poston 150th (33:46.1), and Thompson took 192nd (34:18.3). Hunter Kimball and David Perez-Santiago rounded out the Jags, with Kimball taking 218th (34:49.0) and Perez-Santiago 249th (37:58.8).
Prior to the finals, Augusta won all four regular-season races, claimed the Peach Belt Conference Championship, and carded third at regionals for a historic season under head coach Adam Ward.