Wildcats Finish Eighth in Men’s and Women’s Races at SEC Cross Country Championships

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Kentucky Wildcats kicked off postseason competition for the 2025 season today in Knoxville, Tenn. at the SEC Cross Country Championships at the UT XC Course at Cherokee Farm.

On the men’s side, the Wildcats placed eighth, tying the team’s finish from the 2023 championships, with 180 points. Junior Ed Bird was the first Wildcat to cross the finish line, placing 17^th with a time of 23:44.93. Collins Kiprop Kipngok and Levi Kipkurui Bachi both finished inside the top 30, with Kiprop Kipngok finishing 21^st at 23:56.15 and Kipkurui Bachi placing 26^th at 24:04.93. Freshmen Eyan Turk and Nicola Baiochhi rounded out the point-finishers for the Wildcats in 43^rd and 79^th, respectively.

In the women’s 6k race, the Cats also finished eighth with 193 total points, highlighted once again by freshman Doricah Minsari Iose with a 12^th-place finish and a 20:27.04 time. In three consecutive events, Minsari Iose has finished atop the Kentucky team leaderboard, placing 10^th at the Cowboy Jamboree (Sept. 26) and 16^th at the Pre-National Invitational, posting a season-best time of 19:55.7 in the latter.

The eighth-place finish for the Wildcats is the highest team finish for the women’s squad since the 2022 season, where they finished fourth, highlighted by two top 10 finishers in Perri Bockrath and Tori Herman.

Postseason competition will continue for the Cats, with a trip to Charlottesville, Va. on the horizon for the NCAA Southeast Regional on Friday, Nov. 14.

SEC Cross Country Championships Results:

Men’s 8K: (8^th, 180 pts)

17. Ed Bird – 23:44.93 (17 pts)

21. Collins Kiprop Kipngok – 23:56.15 (21 pts)

26. Levi Kipkurui Bachi – 24:04.93 (26 pts)

43. Eyan Turk – 24:23.64 (43 pts)

79. Nicola Baiocchi – 25:19.50 (73 pts)

86. Caden Miracle – 25:32.49

Lincoln Herald – DNF

Alex Alston – DNF

Women’s 6k: (8^th, 193 pts)

12. Doricah Minsari Isoe – 20:27.04 (12 pts)

20. Janet Jepkemboi Amimo – 20:38.14 (20 pts)

32. Ally Kruger – 20:52.24 (32 pts)

64. Elly Heine – 21:37.50 (61 pts)

71. Noel Barlette – 21:51.98 (68 pts)

101. Lyric Olson – 22:26.29

102. Ava Hendren – 22:26.31

125. Morgan Dick – 22:59.80

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