Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Vroman, Kiplagat and Lekokei take home Conference USA yearly Conference USA honors
12/12/2025 1:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee cross country head coach, Keith Vroman and standout student-athlete Allan Kiplagat receive Conference USA honors after the 2025 season.
Men's Athlete of the Year - Allan Kiplagat
Middle Tennessee's Allan Kiplagat delivered a standout sophomore campaign in 2025, building on his record-breaking freshman season. He opened the year with a first-place finish at the Memphis Twilight Classic on Aug. 30, then followed it two weeks later with a third-place showing at the Southern Showcase against a field of 460 runners.
Kiplagat kept his momentum rolling with a fifth-place finish at the Louisville Classic before placing third at the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 17. His consistent excellence set the stage for the Conference USA Championship, where he claimed the individual title for the second straight year.
He finished the year with two victories, four top-three finishes and five top-five placements.
This marks the second straight year Kiplagat has been named the Conference USA Men's Athlete of the Year.
Men's Newcomer of the Year - Moses Lekokei
Middle Tennessee added a major piece to its lineup last offseason, bringing in Akron transfer Moses Lekokei. Lekokei arrived following a third-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championship last November. This season, he competed in four meets for the Blue Raiders, recording two top-10 finishes and three top-15 placements. In his MT debut, the sophomore placed ninth at the Louisville Classic with a time of 23:53.7, helping the Blue Raiders earn a team title.
Two weeks later, he posted a personal best in the 8k at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, finishing 13th in 23:25.6 to help MTSU secure runner-up honors. At the Conference USA Championship, Lekokei placed ninth to earn CUSA Second Team accolades, finishing as the top newcomer in the conference.
Men's Coach of the Year - Keith Vroman
Middle Tennessee head coach Keith Vroman added another award-winning season to his résumé after the 2025 cross country campaign. The Blue Raiders opened the year with a runner-up finish at the Memphis Twilight Classic, followed by a sixth-place showing at the Southern Showcase. Vroman then guided his team to a statement victory at the Louisville Classic, upsetting No. 24 Eastern Kentucky to claim the title. The performance helped earn the program national recognition, tallying 12 votes in the NCAA Coaches Poll.
Middle Tennessee carried that momentum into the Arturo Barrios Invitational, placing second behind host Texas A&M. Entering the Conference USA Championship as the favorite, the Blue Raiders delivered with a score of 37 to secure Vroman's fifth men's CUSA title.
Throughout the season, Vroman continued to develop his roster, with multiple athletes producing career-defining performances. Sophomore Allan Kiplagat built on his record-setting career, closing the year with two victories, four top-three finishes and five top-five placements.
Senior Jacinto Gaspar also put together the best stretch of his career. He ran a personal-best 23:43.2 in the 8k at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, placed a career-high fourth at the CUSA Championship to help seal the team title, and became Middle Tennessee's top finisher at the NCAA South Region Championship with a personal-best 30:10.5 in the 10k.
Vroman's squad swept the men's Conference USA awards as well, including Solomon Sayo earning CUSA Freshman of the Year.
This is Vroman's fifth Conference USA Men's Coach of the Year honor, bringing his career total to 10 CUSA COTY awards, including five on the women's side.
Men's Athlete of the Year - Allan Kiplagat
Middle Tennessee's Allan Kiplagat delivered a standout sophomore campaign in 2025, building on his record-breaking freshman season. He opened the year with a first-place finish at the Memphis Twilight Classic on Aug. 30, then followed it two weeks later with a third-place showing at the Southern Showcase against a field of 460 runners.
Kiplagat kept his momentum rolling with a fifth-place finish at the Louisville Classic before placing third at the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 17. His consistent excellence set the stage for the Conference USA Championship, where he claimed the individual title for the second straight year.
He finished the year with two victories, four top-three finishes and five top-five placements.
This marks the second straight year Kiplagat has been named the Conference USA Men's Athlete of the Year.
Men's Newcomer of the Year - Moses Lekokei
Middle Tennessee added a major piece to its lineup last offseason, bringing in Akron transfer Moses Lekokei. Lekokei arrived following a third-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championship last November. This season, he competed in four meets for the Blue Raiders, recording two top-10 finishes and three top-15 placements. In his MT debut, the sophomore placed ninth at the Louisville Classic with a time of 23:53.7, helping the Blue Raiders earn a team title.
Two weeks later, he posted a personal best in the 8k at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, finishing 13th in 23:25.6 to help MTSU secure runner-up honors. At the Conference USA Championship, Lekokei placed ninth to earn CUSA Second Team accolades, finishing as the top newcomer in the conference.
Men's Coach of the Year - Keith Vroman
Middle Tennessee head coach Keith Vroman added another award-winning season to his résumé after the 2025 cross country campaign. The Blue Raiders opened the year with a runner-up finish at the Memphis Twilight Classic, followed by a sixth-place showing at the Southern Showcase. Vroman then guided his team to a statement victory at the Louisville Classic, upsetting No. 24 Eastern Kentucky to claim the title. The performance helped earn the program national recognition, tallying 12 votes in the NCAA Coaches Poll.
Middle Tennessee carried that momentum into the Arturo Barrios Invitational, placing second behind host Texas A&M. Entering the Conference USA Championship as the favorite, the Blue Raiders delivered with a score of 37 to secure Vroman's fifth men's CUSA title.
Throughout the season, Vroman continued to develop his roster, with multiple athletes producing career-defining performances. Sophomore Allan Kiplagat built on his record-setting career, closing the year with two victories, four top-three finishes and five top-five placements.
Senior Jacinto Gaspar also put together the best stretch of his career. He ran a personal-best 23:43.2 in the 8k at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, placed a career-high fourth at the CUSA Championship to help seal the team title, and became Middle Tennessee's top finisher at the NCAA South Region Championship with a personal-best 30:10.5 in the 10k.
Vroman's squad swept the men's Conference USA awards as well, including Solomon Sayo earning CUSA Freshman of the Year.
This is Vroman's fifth Conference USA Men's Coach of the Year honor, bringing his career total to 10 CUSA COTY awards, including five on the women's side.
Players Mentioned
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