Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Take Fourth at Missouri Southern Stampede
JOPLIN, Mo. – The East Central University men's and women's cross country teams turned in a solid showing at the Missouri Southern Stampede, hosted by Missouri Southern State University on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both teams secured fourth-place finishes against a deep and diverse field that included top programs from the GAC, MIAA, NAIA, and NJCAA.
The ECU men's team placed fourth out of 26 teams in a deep and competitive 8k field. Hutchinson Community College captured the team title, followed by Pittsburg State in second and Missouri Southern in third.
Leading the charge for the ECU men's team was
Donald Kipsang, who placed 12th overall with a career-best time of 24:13.53 in the 8K. He was followed closely by
Paul Korir, who turned in a strong 15th-place finish in 24:18.91.
Aspel Kiprob crossed the line in 33rd place with a time of 25:15.38, while
Kennedy Bett finished 34th in 25:17.85. Rounding out the scoring for the Tigers was
Brian Mitei, who placed 39th with a time of 25:24.61.
Emmanuel Kemboi contributed a 70th-place finish in 26:03.78, while
Ladon Vance (209th, 29:46.63) and
Huston Holder (221st, 30:18.93) also represented ECU in the deep field.
On the women's side, the Tigers also secured a fourth-place finish, competing among 22 teams in the 5k race. Pittsburg State claimed the top spot, with Missouri Southern finishing second and Rogers State taking third.
Winnie Kipsang led the way with a career-best time of 17:44.3, securing 5th place overall.
Sheilah Bii also made a strong impact, finishing 11th with a time of 17:59.
Mercy Kibiwott and
Sheilah Cheruiyot contributed valuable points, placing 37th and 40th respectively.
Stephanie Ojo,
Madison Ham, and
Damaris Chewon rounded out the scoring for ECU, showing great team depth with finishes inside the top 50.
Lindsey Mauppin also posted a solid effort, completing the race in 21:22.4.
The Tigers will return to action on October 4
th when they compete at the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by the University of Arkansas.
