Men’s Cross Country Breaks into the Top 5 in National Coaches’ Poll
ADA, Okla. – After a dominating performance on the course last weekend at the 2023 Great American Conference Cross Country Championships, the East Central University men's cross country team made a remarkable ascent in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Collegiate Coaches Association (USTFCCA) National Coaches' Poll. Climbing from their previous No. 9 position, they now stand proudly at No. 5, establishing themselves as one of the nation's elites. In addition, within the Central Region, ECU has secured the top spot.
The Tigers' current ranking marks the program's highest position in school history.
ECU's triumph at the 2023 Great American Conference Championships was nothing short of extraordinary. Paced by a 1-2-3-4-5 finish from
Aspel Kiprob,
Amos Pkiach,
Peter Kipkemboi,
Paul Korir, and
Oliver Kiptoo, the Tigers took home back-to-back team titles with the lowest possible score of 15 points, the first in GAC Championship history. All five of the Tigers' scoring runners broke the record previously established by former Tiger Will Baldwin in 2015 (24:18.34).
As the No. 5 ranked team in the nation, ECU stands alone as the only program within the GAC to hold a national ranking.
With their sights set on the Central Regional Championships in Joplin, MO, the Tigers will take one week off before competing on Saturday, Nov. 4.
