Kiplagat punches ticket to National Championship

Friday, November 15

Tallahassee, Fla.

Middle Tennessee

NCAA South Regional

11/15/2024 5:43:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

By: Jayce Standridge, MTSU Athletic Communications

Tallahassee, Fla. – Allan Kiplagat finished in fifth place at the NCAA Cross Country South Region Championship, securing his spot in the NCAA National Championship in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 23.

Freshman Allan Kiplagat was the standout for the Blue Raiders in the Sunshine State. This was his first 10k race at the collegiate level, but he ran it like any other 8k race, staying with the lead pack throughout. He fluctuated between second and sixth place, ultimately finishing in 29:47.6, just behind four SEC runners. Kiplagat will now compete for the Individual National Championship next week in Wisconsin. Brian Kiptoo, Jacinto Gaspar, Carmelo Cannizzaro, and Juan Lucas rounded out the scoring for the Blue Raiders, who finished 10th out of 26 teams.

On the women's side, Sandra Maiyo led the Blue Raiders with an 18th-place finish. She took control early and stuck to her game plan to earn an All-Region medal. Maiyo is hoping for an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA National Championship alongside Kiplagat. Odilia Jepchumba, Eleanor Towe, Nancy Maiyo, and Agnes Chepkurui completed the scoring for the Blue Raiders, who finished 12th out of 31 teams.

Coach Vroman's Thoughts

"Allan ran a solid race, staying controlled and patient," said coach Vroman. "The men's team had a strong season, despite some uncontrollable circumstances late in the year. The women's team is young, and we're looking forward to the maturity and experience gained from this season."

Up Next

Allan Kiplagat (and potentially Sandra Maiyo) will travel to Madison, Wis., to compete in the NCAA Division I National Championship. The meet will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, and will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin.

RACE RESULTS

Saturday, Nov. 15 | NCAA South Regional Championship
Men's 10k – 244 points – 10th out of 26 teams

Place	Name	Time
5	Allan Kiplagat	29:47.6
40	Brian Kiptoo	31:14.2
41	Jacinto Gaspar	31:15.4
71	Carmelo Cannizzaro	31:49.6
87	Juan Lucas	32:14.6

Women's 6k – 404 points – 12th place out of 31 teams

Place	Name	Time
18	Sandra Maiyo	20:26.8
42	Odilia Jepchumba	20:50.5
77	Eleanor Towe	21:35.8
106	Nancy Maiyo	22:04.7
162	Agnes Chepkurui	23:04.0

Follow Along

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