Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Saturday, November 1
Denton, Texas
Middle Tennessee
vs
Conference USA Championship
Raiders to compete in C-USA Championships
10/31/2014 12:30:00 PM | Track & Field/Cross Country
Performance Chart – C-USA Championship Central
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The quest for the first Conference USA title for men's and women's cross country takes place tomorrow as the Blue Raiders will battle on the Eagle Point Cross Country Course in Denton, Texas at the C-USA Championships. The women's 5K race is slated to start the championships at 9 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at 10 a.m.
The Middle Tennessee men's squad will compete against 10 other C-USA schools, which includes Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, LA Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Rice, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.
The women's team will face 12 other C-USA schools, including Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, LA Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.
On the men's side the Blue Raiders enter competition the highest ranked team in regional rankings, sitting third in the South Region. Host school North Texas and Rice are each ranked in the South Central Region with the Mean Green ranked sixth and one spot ahead of Rice.
UTEP enters the weekend ranked eighth in the Mountain Region and have two-time defending individual champion and All-American Anthony Rotich. Rotich won last year's race with a time of 24:31.57.
Last season the Middle Tennessee men's team finished fifth overall and were led by Shadrack Matelong, who finished the course in 25:39.85 for 12th. Matelong is joined on this year's squad by a group of three talented freshmen and two upperclassmen, which includes freshman Amos Cheruiyot, freshman Geoffry Cheruiyot, freshman Hillary Rono, junior Alden Dixon and senior Peter Okwera.
Matelong has won two individual titles at the Belmont Invitational and the Front Runner Invitational, earning C-USA Athlete of the Week honors Oct. 21. The Kenya native ran his fastest 8K of the season at the Greater Louisville Classic, finishing 28th overall in 24:41.47.
G. Cheruiyot has positioned himself as one of the top runners for the Middle Tennessee program after winning his first two collegiate races at the PowerAde Invitational and Commodore Classic. The Eldoret, Kenya native conquered the 8K Commodore Classic with a team-best 24:06.66, while winning the race and helping Middle Tennessee capture its first team title of the season.
While no one runner on the women's team has taken a firm hold on the one spot, the group is built to contend as a team and have showed their teamwork from the first race this fall.
The Blue Raiders face four teams that are ranked in their respective regions. Rice, who brings back the highest returner from last season's championship Cali Roper, is ranked a C-USA-best fifth in the South Central Region. Roper finished second overall with her 17:19.91 performance.
The Middle Tennessee women go into the championship ranked eighth in the south region, ahead of Southern Miss (12th) and UAB (13th). WKU is the last ranked team to enter competition, holding the 14th spot in the Southeast Region.
In last year's competition, Middle Tennessee placed seventh and were led by Lucy Kapkiai, who finished the 5K course in 17:46.35. Kapkiai Notched her best performance of the season at the Front Runner Invitational, placing third in the two-mile race with a time of 11:02.85. Her best 5K time of the season came at the Commodore Classic were the Kenya native finished in 18:06.71.
Joining Kapkiai on this year's team are Rhema Cheruiyot, Gladys David, Jackline Kiprono, Jospehine Kiptebeny, Julia Kitevski and Hannah Maina.
R. Cheruiyot has competed in all five races this season and has a team-best 8k time of 17:38.94, which she set at the Great Louisville Classic. She led the Blue Raiders with her 27th place finish but was followed closely by Maina, who placed 28th with a 17:39.48 performance.
David tallied the third-fastest 8K time on the team with her 17:47.83 24th-place performance at the Commodore Classic.
Results will be available at AdkinsTrak.com. Receive updates by following @Conference_USA on Twitter.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The quest for the first Conference USA title for men's and women's cross country takes place tomorrow as the Blue Raiders will battle on the Eagle Point Cross Country Course in Denton, Texas at the C-USA Championships. The women's 5K race is slated to start the championships at 9 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at 10 a.m.
The Middle Tennessee men's squad will compete against 10 other C-USA schools, which includes Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, LA Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Rice, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.
The women's team will face 12 other C-USA schools, including Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, LA Tech, Marshall, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.
On the men's side the Blue Raiders enter competition the highest ranked team in regional rankings, sitting third in the South Region. Host school North Texas and Rice are each ranked in the South Central Region with the Mean Green ranked sixth and one spot ahead of Rice.
UTEP enters the weekend ranked eighth in the Mountain Region and have two-time defending individual champion and All-American Anthony Rotich. Rotich won last year's race with a time of 24:31.57.
Last season the Middle Tennessee men's team finished fifth overall and were led by Shadrack Matelong, who finished the course in 25:39.85 for 12th. Matelong is joined on this year's squad by a group of three talented freshmen and two upperclassmen, which includes freshman Amos Cheruiyot, freshman Geoffry Cheruiyot, freshman Hillary Rono, junior Alden Dixon and senior Peter Okwera.
Matelong has won two individual titles at the Belmont Invitational and the Front Runner Invitational, earning C-USA Athlete of the Week honors Oct. 21. The Kenya native ran his fastest 8K of the season at the Greater Louisville Classic, finishing 28th overall in 24:41.47.
G. Cheruiyot has positioned himself as one of the top runners for the Middle Tennessee program after winning his first two collegiate races at the PowerAde Invitational and Commodore Classic. The Eldoret, Kenya native conquered the 8K Commodore Classic with a team-best 24:06.66, while winning the race and helping Middle Tennessee capture its first team title of the season.
While no one runner on the women's team has taken a firm hold on the one spot, the group is built to contend as a team and have showed their teamwork from the first race this fall.
The Blue Raiders face four teams that are ranked in their respective regions. Rice, who brings back the highest returner from last season's championship Cali Roper, is ranked a C-USA-best fifth in the South Central Region. Roper finished second overall with her 17:19.91 performance.
The Middle Tennessee women go into the championship ranked eighth in the south region, ahead of Southern Miss (12th) and UAB (13th). WKU is the last ranked team to enter competition, holding the 14th spot in the Southeast Region.
In last year's competition, Middle Tennessee placed seventh and were led by Lucy Kapkiai, who finished the 5K course in 17:46.35. Kapkiai Notched her best performance of the season at the Front Runner Invitational, placing third in the two-mile race with a time of 11:02.85. Her best 5K time of the season came at the Commodore Classic were the Kenya native finished in 18:06.71.
Joining Kapkiai on this year's team are Rhema Cheruiyot, Gladys David, Jackline Kiprono, Jospehine Kiptebeny, Julia Kitevski and Hannah Maina.
R. Cheruiyot has competed in all five races this season and has a team-best 8k time of 17:38.94, which she set at the Great Louisville Classic. She led the Blue Raiders with her 27th place finish but was followed closely by Maina, who placed 28th with a 17:39.48 performance.
David tallied the third-fastest 8K time on the team with her 17:47.83 24th-place performance at the Commodore Classic.
Results will be available at AdkinsTrak.com. Receive updates by following @Conference_USA on Twitter.
Players Mentioned
XC/Dist.
/ Track & Field/Cross CountryXC/Dist.
/ Track & Field/Cross CountryXC/Dist.
/ Track & Field/Cross CountryXC/Dist.
/ Track & Field/Cross CountryXC/Dist.
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