Collins Kiprop Kipngok Takes Fifth, Cross Country Posts Strong Showing at Southern Showcase
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Kentucky Cross Country teams took on their first invitational field of the season, posting a strong finish at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama. Making his collegiate debut, freshman Collins Kiprop Kipngok stole the show for the Cats, taking home fifth in the Men’s 8k to lead his team to a fourth-place finish. In the Women’s 5k, junior Ally Kruger posted her second consecutive top 20 finish at the meet, crossing the line in 19th to lead the women’s squad to a sixth-place result.
Hosted by Jacksonville State at John Hunt Park, the meet featured 457 runners in both events across 47 men’s squads and 49 women’s teams. Held on the first day that results are countable towards NCAA selection, the meet brings together the best runners across the southeast to kick off the collegiate cross country season.
After a delay of ninety minutes due to weather from Hurricane Francine, the Men’s 8k race led off the day. Kiprop Kipngok took to the lead pack from the start and maintained his position at the front until the breakaway. The Kenyan fell off the leader’s pace towards the last couple of kilometers but finished strong to take home fifth in a time of 23:45.86.
A pair of Wildcats also earned top 30 finishes, as senior Jackson Watts crossed the line in 24th, while sophomore Alex Alston was 28th in a new collegiate best time. Jack Pendergast, a senior transfer from Iowa, also scored points and ran a collegiate best for the Cats in his Kentucky debut, finishing in 39th. Sophomore Caden Miracle was the fifth and final scorer for Kentucky, taking home 51st.
Max Liao and William Russell, both making their Wildcat debuts, finished in 71st and 78th, respectively.
As a team, the men’s squad scored 142 points to finish the Southern Showcase in fourth for the second consecutive season. No. 9 Alabama took home the team title, followed by Belmont and Georgia Tech. Kentucky finished ahead of two SEC programs–Georgia and Vanderbilt– as well as in-state rival Louisville.
The Women’s 5k was the final of the two races on the meet’s collegiate program, which saw Ally Kruger post the top result for the Wildcats. The junior from St. Louis, Mo. ran a steady race in a time of 17:14.03 to lead her team. This is the second year in a row where Kruger has posted a top 20 finish at the Southern Showcase, as she finished in sixth place one year ago.
Senior Phoebe McCowan and freshman Chesney McPherson also ran strong races for Kentucky, finishing in 29th and 33rd, respectively. Both athletes recorded personal best times by over 15 seconds. Ava Hendren finished in 54th in her collegiate debut and Jenna Schwinghammer crossed the line in 65th to close out the scoring for the Cats.
Four more Wildcat women posted top 100 finishes, including Jayla Atkinson and Morgan Dick, who were making their collegiate debuts.
As a team, the Kentucky women scored 185 points, good enough for a sixth-place finish. No. 12 Alabama finished their sweep of the Southern Showcase titles with a win in the Women’s 5k, followed by Louisville, Georgia Tech, Belmont, and Vanderbilt. The Cats did finish in front of three SEC programs—Mississippi State, Georgia, and Auburn.
Kentucky will return to the course in a fortnight, racing at the Gans Creek Classic on September 27. The meet, hosted by Missouri, will be run at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, site of the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.
Kentucky Results:
Men’s Team – 4th, 142 points
5. Collins Kiprop Kipngok – 23:45.86 PB – 5 points
24. Jackson Watts – 24:36.19 – 24 points
28. Alex Alston – 24:39.07 PB – 28 points
39. Jack Pendergast – 24:49.20 PB – 37 points
51. Caden Miracle – 24:57.45 – 48 points
71. Max Liao – 25:18.42 PB
78. William Russell – 25:23.22 PB
100. Sami Hattab – 25:36.68
127. Caden Weber – 25:47.98 PB
133. Theo Bachmann – 25:52.35
168. Cade Byer – 26:14.90
Women’s Team – 6th, 185 points
19. Ally Kruger – 17:14.03 – 18 points
29. Phoebe McCowan – 17:19.96 PB – 28 points
33. Chesney McPherson – 17:28.60 PB – 32 points
54. Ava Hendren – 17:50.18 PB – 49 points
65. Jenna Schwinghammer – 17:57.18 – 58 points
67. Jayla Atkinson – 17:58.17 PB
68. Julz Williams – 17:58.72
75. Lyric Olson – 18:02.78 PB
96. Morgan Dick – 18:16.73
101. Mollie Roden – 18:19.23
126. Elly Heine – 18:35.44
129. Baylor Wolfe – 18:37.14
137. Clara Heppner – 18:40.27
182. Noel Barlette – 19:06.80
206. Aubree Hay – 19:25.25
