Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Joshua Chepkesir, UNC Pembroke

Chepkesir won the 10,000m at the Embry-Riddle Spikes Classic over the weekend. Running his first outdoor 10k on the track, the junior from Eldoret, Kenya, covered the distance in 30:16.41, 44 seconds ahead of anyone else in the 20-runner field and becoming the first runner to set a 10k NCAA Provisional time. It was the 11th-fastest 10k run in NCAA Division II so far this season.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Orlandus Gamble, UNC Pembroke

Gamble soared to new heights – literally – as he won the high jump at the Embry-Riddle Spikes Classic with a PBC-record leap of 2.11m. The junior from Kings Mountain, N.C., shattered the old PBC mark of 2.06 that was held by three different jumpers, all of whom cleared that height in 2018 or earlier. After clearing the bar at 1.94 and 2.04, he passed on an attempt at 2.09 for a chance at 2.11, which he nailed on his first attempt, setting an NCAA provisional mark. Gamble also ran the first leg on the 4x100 relay team as UNCP won that with a time of 41.83.

For a complete list of men’s track and field weekly award winners, please click here.