Collins Kiprop Kipngok Finishes Fourth at NCAA Southeast Regional, Punches Ticket to National Championships
ROCK HILL, S.C – Freshman phenom Collins Kiprop Kipngok continued his outstanding debut season on Friday, placing fourth in the Men’s 10k race at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships at Winthrop Farm in Rock Hill, S.C. Racing in his first collegiate 10k event, the Nakuru, Kenya native qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships by virtue of placing among the four fastest individuals on non-advancing teams. He is the first Wildcat on the men’s team to advance to nationals since Jacob Thomson in 2016.
Kiprop Kipngok led his team to a tenth-place finish in the men’s standings. He ran the ten kilometers in 29:51.3, only finishing behind champion George Couttie of Virginia Tech, Justine Kipkoech of Eastern Kentucky, and defending champion Dylan Schubert of Furman. Kiprop Kipngok was the second-highest finishing freshman. The Kenyan steadily ran with the lead pack, moving up throughout the race with each breakaway. 36th at the first split at 1.6 kilometers, Kiprop Kipngok was 18th by the 5k mark, sixth at the 8k split, before ultimately ending in fourth position.
Ed Bird was the second Wildcat to cross the finish line, placing 25th in a personal best 10k time of 30:37.5. By virtue of finishing in the top 25, both Bird and Kiprop Kipngok are set to earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors when they are announced by the association next week.Jackson Watts, Alex Alston, and Jack Pendergast rounded out the scoring runners for the Cats.
“I was really impressed with the patience and toughness Collins showed today”, coach Hakon DeVries said after the race. “The course, with the mud, made for a challenging 10k, but he navigated it well and closed great over the last 1000 meters. I am also really proud of Ed for sticking his nose in it. He will—no doubt—be a player in the lead pack next year. Overall, I am really proud of the senior leadership we had from Jackson Watts, Jack Pendergast, and Alex Justus and I am thankful those guys chose to run for us.”
No. 13 Virginia won the regional title and advanced to the National Meet as an automatic qualifier alongside No. 11 North Carolina. No. 24 Eastern Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and No. 5 Wake Forest rounded out the top five.
On the women’s side, Ally Kruger finished her season as the top Wildcat once again, placing 33rd in 21:27.9. Kruger led her team in scoring in all five meets this season. Jenna Schwinghamer turned in a career-best regional finish of 61st in her final Cross Country meet as a Wildcat.
Lyric Olson, Phoebe McCowan, and Jayla Atkinson rounded out the scoring runners on the women’s side. The Kentucky women finished in 13th place with 372 points, two places better than their USTFCCCA Regional Ranking entering the meet.
“On the women’s side, Ally Kruger led us again with a really tough race herself”, Coach DeVries reflected. “I am pleased with how everyone ran—top to bottom. I am really looking forward to seeing them mix it up with the best of the SEC and NCAA on the track this season. Like the senior guys, I am extremely thankful for the leadership we have had from Jenna Schwinghamer, Phoebe McCowan, Mollie Roden, and Julz Williams.”
Three-time defending National Champion No. 17 NC State won the regional meet for the eighth consecutive season, punching their ticket to nationals. No. 15 Virginia earned the second auto bid, while No. 13 North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Liberty rounded out the top five.
The full 31-team—and additional 38 qualifying individuals—for both the Men’s and Women’s Championships will be announced in a selection show on NCAA.com tomorrow, November 16, at 5 p.m. ET. 13 at-large teams and two at-large individuals will join the 18 teams and 36 individuals that automatically qualified across the nine regional championships on Friday.
Kiprop Kipngok will close out the 2024 Cross Country season at the NCAA National Championships in Madison, Wis. on Saturday, November 23. The Kenyan will run the 10k course at Wisconsin’s Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course at 11:10 a.m. ET, with the meet slated to be televised live on ESPNU.
Results:
Men’s 10k
KENTUCKY – 10th, 279 points
4. Collins Kiprop Kipngok – 20:51.3 PB – 4 points
25. Ed Bird – 30:37.5 PB – 25 points
57. Jackson Watts – 31:30.9 – 57 points
95. Alex Alston – 32:20.2 – 93 points
102. Jack Pendergast – 32:23.0 – 100 points
110. Miles Brush – 32:32.1 – 107 points
121. Alex Justus – 32:42.9 PB – 118 points
Women’s 6k
KENTUCKY – 13th, 372 points
33. Ally Kruger – 21:27.9 – 32 points
61. Jenna Schwinghamer – 22:00.2 – 60 points
75. Lyric Olson – 22:11.7 – 72 points
99. Phoebe McCowan – 22:34.9 – 94 points
120. Jayla Atkinson – 22:53.4 (114 points)
131. Julz Williams – 23:04.2 – 124 points
135. Mollie Roden – 23:07.8 – 127 points
