Men’s Cross Country Place 7th in Competitive Chile Pepper Festival
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The East Central University men's cross country team made the trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas on Saturday to compete in the prestigious Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, hosted annually by the University of Arkansas. Facing a deep field of 30 teams that included NCAA Division I, Division II, and NJCAA programs, the Tigers delivered an impressive performance, finishing 7th overall.
Among NCAA Division II schools, ECU posted the second-highest finish, trailing only Northwest Missouri State, who placed third overall. The host Razorbacks of Arkansas successfully defended their home course, taking first place with 40 points.
Men's 8k Results
Leading the Tigers once again was
Donald Kipsang, who clocked a time of 24:41.8 in the 8K to finish 26th overall. This marks Kipsang's third straight meet as ECU's top finisher.
Paul Korir continued his consistent season, crossing the line in 24:47.6 to earn 32nd place, his third consecutive meet finishing second for the Tigers.
Kennedy Bett also cracked the top-50, placing 39th with a time of 24:55.2.
Making his season debut,
Bhekizulu Khumalo placed 61st in 25:14.3. Rounding out ECU's team performance were
Aspel Kiprob (115th, 25:56.9),
Emmanuel Kemboi (189th, 26:57.7),
Ladon Vance (271st, 29:57.2), and
Huston Holder (277th, 30:36.0).
The Tigers now shift their focus to the upcoming Old Glory Gallop, hosted by Dallas Baptist University, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11 in Texas.
