Men and Women place first at CUSA Championships

Saturday, October 28

Bowling Green, KY

Men 9:00 a.m. CT / Women 10:00 a.m. CT

Middle Tennessee

Conference USA

10/28/2023 2:15:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

By: Bradley Hartman, MTSU Athletics

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Middle Tennessee men's and women's cross country teams swept the Conference USA Championships held in Bowling Green at the Riverview Golf Course. The two titles on Saturday were the Blue Raiders' first in cross country since they swept in 2021.

Graduate senior Habtamu Geta led the way for the men with a third-place finish and a time of 22:47.20. Geta, Vincent Yegon, Brian Kiptoo and Hillary Kimaiyo all earned First Team All-Conference USA honors.

Yegon, Kimaiyo and freshman Kiptoo both finished behind Geta with times of 22:58.70, 22:59.50 and 23:06.20 respectively. The team as a whole took first with 37 total points.

Graduate senior Purity Sanga earned the individual champion for the women's team with a 21:01.20 time. Sanga led the Blue Raiders to the win with 52 total team points for the CUSA Championship sweep.

"It's emotional to win both of them," said head coach Keith Vroman. "It's tough to do but we have done it three times the last five years. It is the hardest thing to do."

Freshman Eleanor Towe impressed with a late push in the race to claim the 11th spot. Her time of 22:16.50 gave her Freshman of the Meet honors.

The women's team overall scored 52 points in their first-place finish at the CUSA Championships to complete the sweep.

RACE RESULTS
Saturday, October 28 | CUSA Championships
Women's – 52 points – 1st place

Place	Name	Time
1	Purity Sanga	21:01.20
3	Faith Nyathi	21:08.40
11	Eleanor Towe	22:16.50
17	Zaila Smith	22:31.30
20	Brooke Studnicki	22:44.30

Women's CUSA Honors
Individual Champion – Purity Sanga
Outstanding Senior – Purity Sanga
Freshman of the Meet – Eleanor Towe
First Team All-Conference – Purity Sanga, Faith Nyathi
Second Team All-Conference – Eleanor Towe
Third Team All-Conference – Brooke Studnicki, Zaila Smith

Men's – 37 points – 1st place

Place	Name	Time
3	Habtamu Geta	22:47.20
4	Vincent Yegon	22:58.70
5	Brian Kiptoo	22:59.50
6	Hillary Kimaiyo	23:06.20
20	Carmelo Cannizzaro	24:18.60

Men's CUSA Honors

First Team All-Conference – Hillary Kimaiyo, Brian Kiptoo, Vincent Yegon, Habtamu Geta
Third Team All-Conference - Carmelo Cannizzaro

Next Up

The Blue Raiders' men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Gainsville, Fla. for the NCAA South Regionals on Friday, Nov. 10.

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