The Tigers finished fifth overall in both the men’s and women’s races at the SEC Championships Friday in Knoxville, Tenn., with 16 schools competing. Freshmen Drew Rogers and Monica Wanjiku deliver standout
performances, as they continue to lead their team with strong showings.
“When you’re consistent, I think that that allows you to go into championships and know that, you just kind of got to keep doing what you’re doing,” coach Kyle Levermore said.
Men’s Side
Senior standout Drew Rogers led the way for the Tigers with a strong performance, finishing seventh overall in 23:29.6.
“I think our ceiling is kind of limitless, but it’s really going to come down to who nails the details, because there is not a ton of margin for error, and there’s also not a lot of difference between some of these teams,” Levermore said. “We’re all good in different ways.”
At the 2K split, freshman Elijah Limo, graduate student Austin Popplewell, senior Ryder James, and freshman Raymond Kipoech were separated by mere seconds, clocking 5:56.2, 5:56.3, 5:56.5, and 5:56.7, respectively. By the 3K mark, the pack began to spread out as Rogers surged into 10th place with a split of 8:50.4, followed closely by Limo at 8:51.8.
At the 4K split, Rogers dropped slightly to No.13 with a time of 11:41.8, while Popplewell ranked No.28 at 11:48.1. By the 5K, James climbed to seventh with a split of 15:06.8, and senior Carter Spradling made a strong move with a 15:17.3 split.
Rogers regained momentum at the 6K mark, moving into sixth place with a 17:38.8 split. Popplewell followed in 17:55.3, and Limo trailed close behind at 18:02.2. At 7K, Rogers held eighth in 20:30.6, with Popplewell in No.24 at 20:55.0.
In the final stretch, Rogers crossed the line seventh overall in 23:29.6. Popplewell finished at No.24 in 24:03.8, Limo placed No.33 with a time of 24:12.9, and James came in No.37 at 24:18.2.
All of Missouri’s runners placed within the top 65 of 105 finishers, earning the team 145 points. Alabama captured the men’s title with 64 points, followed by Georgia (123) and Oklahoma (126). Kelvin Cheruiyot, a freshman from the University of Florida, won the race for the men in 23:08.3.
“On the men’s side, Alabama, on paper, looks like the clear favorite, and I would say the same thing about Florida on the women’s side, but I think after that, it’s wide open, and it’s also a championship, so anything can happen,” Levermore said.
Overall, the men delivered a strong showing, with multiple runners finishing in the top half of the field. The results provide solid momentum as they continue into the heart of the season’s championship meets.
Women’s Side
Freshman standout Monica Wanjiku of Kenya finished sixth in the women’s race, crossing the line with a time of 20:02.2.
At the 2k mark, Wanjiku held sixth place with a split of 6:36.1. Mirriam Chepkirui was at No.17 with a time of 6:42.1, while freshman Suzy Lecoutre followed closely at No.22 with a split of 6:43.8. By the 3k mark, Wanjiku surged to third with a split of 9:54.4. Lecoutre was at No.30 with her time of 10:08.0, and Chepkirui trailed slightly at No.32 with a time of 10:09.0.
At the 4k mark, Wanjiku slipped to eighth with a split of 13:05.2, while Lecoutre and Chepkirui dropped to No.34 and No.36, posting splits of 13:36.8 and 13:37.4, respectively.
During the final stretch, Lecoutre finished at No.33 with a time of 20:54.7. Freshman Kobi Walker made a late-race surge, moving up eight spots to finish No.36 in 20:57.2. Chepkirui crossed the line a few places behind at No.38 with a time of 21:00.3.
Out of 145 finishers, the Tigers got 172 points overall and delivered several standout performances. From Alabama, Doris Lemngole captured the women’s individual title with a time of 12:53.4. Florida won the team competition with 45 points, followed by Alabama (117). Multiple top Southeastern Conference teams were in attendance, showcasing strong performances across the board.
“I think that it’s a really close battle on the women’s side between us and Tennessee and South Carolina, I think those are three really good teams there and Florida and Alabama,” Levermore said.
The Tigers will head into their next meet with promising results from today as they compete at the NCAA Midwest Championship in Stillwater, Okla. on Friday, Nov. 14.
“Our goal is always to improve on the prior year and be consistent, and championship racing brings out the best,” Levermore said. “Our team is better than we’ve been in prior years, so the most important thing is that we just kind of continue to show up as ourselves, and if we do that, we’re at a level where we’re competitive with anyone.”
To read more on Mizzou’s XC team, follow @RockMNation and @SophBleedsLA on X.com.
