The women placed 8th overall in the 5000-meter race and the men placed 12th overall for the 8000-meter race during their second home meet of the season. With over 400 runners competing for Gold, the Tigers posted strong times at the largest meet in the event’s history.
Women’s Gold 5k
For the women’s team, Kenya native Monica Wanjiku placed 11th overall with a time of 19:35.1 for her season debut. With 12 runners for the Tigers and 31 overall teams at the course today, the Tigers showed promising numbers.
“It’s our
home,” Wanjiku said. “It felt so nice, and I wanted top ten, but 11 was so nice. It’s my first time racing cross country, so I’m so proud of myself.”
At the 2k split, Wanjiku crossed in 11th with a 6:17.6, while Suzy Lecoutre followed in 6:23.3 and Rahel Broemmel clocked 6:28.5 a few runners back. Just ahead of Monica, Iowa State freshman Betty Kipkore held her ground, keeping herself in the mix with a steady split.
“I felt good, because I know the people I’m competing with, they have more experience than me, but it felt so good to make my first record, and to race with the highest-ranking people,” Wanjiku said.
During the 3K split, Wanjiku moved up to ninth with a time of 9:30.1, while Lecoutre trailed close behind in 9:41.5. At the 5K split, Wanjiku settled into 14th at 16:13.6, with Lecoutre following in 16:36.8.
“Running with the other people, I know I will find other stronger people than me, and today the experience I got is, I must work with the front people, and I must stick with the pack and that will make me improve and keep pushing,” Wanjiku said.
At the final stretch of the race, Lecoutre finished strong, placing 29th overall in 20:00.0, and freshman Kobi Walker followed in 59th at 20:25.6. The Tigers scored 253 points overall.
Last year, the Gans Creek Classic had a course record taken by Brenda Jepchirchir with a time of 19:50.1 This year, freshman Rosemary Longisa from Washington State finished with a time of 19:07.0, breaking the course record by 43 seconds.
With that being said, the Tigers placed higher overall compared to teams such as Washington State with 261 points, Wake Forest with 313 and Duke with their 320-point finish.
Overall, more than 22 women ran faster than the previous course record at Gans Creek, giving the race a lasting impact on the program. With contributions from Wanjiku, Lecoutre, Walker and Broemmel, the Tigers finished strong and gained momentum heading into their upcoming races.
“I didn’t expect this honestly, I didn’t expect to race with 400 and something people,” Wanjiku said. “I thought we were just a few people, but when I saw the line was so huge, I asked [myself] what position I would come in, but I had to believe in myself.”
Men’s Gold 8k
For the men, freshman standout and Kenya native Elijah Limo led the way for the Tigers, placing 36th overall in 23:13.0. With seven runners in the lineup and 31 teams competing, the stage was set for a highly competitive race.
“It was my first time running here, but today was serious and it was very nice,” Limo said. “I was familiarized with the course.”
During the 3k split, Rogers placed 81st with a split time of 8:40.5 and freshman Elijah Limo, who won last week’s race at Nebraska, placed 83rd with a time of 8:40.6. Racing during the 4k, Rogers climbed up to 61st place, with a split time of 11:33.8 and Limo climbed with him at 67th place with his split time of 11:34.2.
“I enjoyed practice, because after Nebraska, we came and we discussed some areas about how we are going to manage everything with this event today,” Limo said.
At the 5k mark, Rogers and Limo moved up to 58th and 59th place, recording split times of 14:27.2 each. By the 6K mark, Rogers continued his ascent to 48th place with a split time of 17:29.5.
With a sudden surge during the 7K stretch, Limo jumped to 38th place with a split time of 20:21.3, while Rogers followed closely in 41st at 20:23.9. In the final moments of the race, Rogers finished strong, placing 43rd with a time of 23:18.9.
“I talked with Drew Rogers, he’s my mentor and he was telling me that if you’re running, take it as training and don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself,” Limo said. “He’s a good guy, [who’s] usually encouraging me.”
With 31 racers on the men’s side getting times over the course record, sophomore Soloman Kipchoge won the race for the men with a time of 22:24.7. The Tigers finished with 400 points overall, with the help from senior Tyler Freiner, whose enhanced 8K time was 23:41.3.
“The experience that I learned from my first day, it’s about teamwork,” Limo said. “You have to talk and tell your teammates, let’s come together.”
The Tigers are set to race next on Oct. 18 at the Pre-National Invitational at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. For updates on upcoming events, follow RockMNation.
