Collins Kiprop Kipngok, Ed Bird Named USTFCCCA All-Southeast Region
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Collins Kiprop Kipngok and Ed Bird were confirmed as All-Southeast Region honorees by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association, the organization announced Monday. Both runners earned the laurel by virtue of placing in the top 25 at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Friday, November 15.
Kiprop Kipngok continued his excellent freshman campaign with a fourth-place finish at the regional meet last Friday, battling muddy conditions to finish his first collegiate 10k race in 29:51.3. Racing in a deep regional field that featured six teams that qualified for the NCAA National Championships, Kiprop Kipngok finished as the top individual from a non-advancing team, punching his ticket to Nationals. Already a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team, Kiprop Kipngok has run a personal best time in all five of his races this season, was named SEC Freshman of the Week on October 1, and earned an individual win at the Bradley Pink Classic on October 18.
Bird, a sophomore from Dorchester, England, earned All-Region honors for the first time in his career after a 25th place finish on Friday. Bird finished the 10k course in a personal best 10k time of 30:37.5, topping his regional performance from 2023 by almost fifty seconds. In 2024, Bird earned All-SEC Third Team honors and won the Gans Creek Classic on September 27. Bird also won the bronze medal in the 3000m at the World Athletics U20 Championships in August.
Kiprop Kipngok will close out the cross country season this Saturday, November 23, as he becomes the first Wildcat man to race at the NCAA D1 Cross Country Championships since 2016. Hosted by Wisconsin at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, the Men’s 10k will begin at 11:10 a.m. ET. The meet will be televised live on ESPNU, with coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m.
