Men’s Cross Country Takes 8th Place at 2024 NCAA National Championships
SACRAMENTO, Cal. – The East Central University men's cross country team made the journey to Sacramento, California for the 2024 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships. Despite facing cold, rainy, and muddy conditions on the Haggin Oaks Golf Course, the Tigers battled hard, finishing 8
th overall out of 34 of the top teams to conclude another successful season.
Men's 10K Results
Although the team had their sights set on a national title after an impressive third-place finish last year, a slip at the start put ECU behind early, unfortunately making it difficult to contend for the top spots. However, ECU's program remains a dominant force, delivering a resilient performance that proudly represented the Division II Central Region.
"A slip at the start line put us way behind from the start, which was the exact opposite of our race plan," Head Coach
Steve Sawyer said. "However, we moved up from 23rd place at 1K to 8th at 10K (finish). That is extremely hard to do when the course is as sloppy as it was. I am proud of the way we fought back to a top-10 finish. Go back five years and tell me we'd finish 8th in the nation, and I would have been ecstatic. Fast forward to this year, and we are hanging our heads with that result. That tells you what this group of guys has done for Tiger cross country—they've changed the standard!"
Peter Kipkemboi led the Tigers with a strong 55th-place finish (30:49.4), followed closely by
Oliver Kiptoo (64th, 30:58.3),
Melvin Kipkemboi (68th, 31:03.4), and
Paul Korir (74th, 31:03.7).
Brian Mitei finished in the top 100, securing 94th place (31:18.0), while
Amos Pkiach placed just outside the top 100 in 101st (31:22.0).
Michael Iyali rounded out the team's efforts with a 158th-place finish (31:56.4).
Colorado School of Mines claimed the team title, upsetting Wingate, while Adams State secured a third-place finish.
