Tulane University
AAC Championships
Tulane Men Claim First AAC Title, Women Place Second Overall
Nov 1, 2024 | Cross Country
Wichita, Ks. - The Tulane men's cross country team clinched its first American Athletic Conference title on Friday, winning a tiebreaker and ending Tulsa's 10-year championship streak. The women's team placed second, finishing just three points behind Tulsa.
Women's Results | Men's Results
"We spoke about making history this weekend, and they did," director of cross country / track & field Adrian Myers said. "We've been fortunate to have such a well-coached national power in Tulsa setting a high bar in the American for over a decade of championships and NCAA placements. We told the men, 'It is our time now,' and they stood toe to toe with a giant today. I couldn't be prouder!"
Caroline Jeptanui and Bernard Cheruiyot each claimed the women's and men's individual titles for the Green Wave this afternoon.
"Bernard and Caroline are absolute warriors," Myers exclaimed. "They run with such passion and spirit as it's meant to be and the track gods reward them. They are special talents that are tremendous young people. I am so proud of them!"
Four Tulane men earned All-AAC honors by placing in the top 10 of the men's 8k: individual champion Cheruiyot, runner-up Jack Jennings, Illia Kunin (fifth), and Wondu Summa (seventh).
Cheruiyot became the first freshman to win the individual title, finishing with a time of 23:43.5 and earning AAC Freshman of the Year honors.
Jennings finished in 24:02.3, followed by Kunin at 24:17.1 and Summa at 24:28.1. Jordan Bendura rounded out the top five for the Wave with a time of 24:53.4, finishing 18th respectively.
Head Coach Adrian Myers and Assistant Coaches David Silversmith and Rebecca Story were named the AAC Men's Cross Country Staff of the Year after leading the Tulane men's team to a first-place finish.
"In my first season, our goal was not to finish last at this meet, but unfortunately, we still did," Myers said. "In my fourth season here, I gained a young man on this team who was able to experience both the bottom as a freshman and the top now as a senior. That's what it's about, and don't let modern-era sport tell us otherwise. Commitment to a vision and a process is a valuable experience in life. They did it!"
Meanwhile, in the women's 6k, the Wave secured second place with a score of 66 points.
"We had some great individual performances tonight from the women, but unfortunately a team title defense wasn't meant for us," Myers said. "We will come back in championship form, better than ever. There will be growth from what happened today to make them better."
Jeptanui led the way, winning the individual title with a time of 20:14.5. Fellow freshman Blezzin Kimutai followed in second place at 20:32.7 and was named AAC Freshman of the Year for her performance.
"Blezzin is figuring things out in this sport," Myers said. "Continues to get better by the day and has a limitless ceiling. We love being able to count on her to always step up in races."
Jeptanui, Kimutai, and Danna Diaz earned All-AAC honors by finishing in the top 10, with Diaz placing ninth overall in a time of 21:22.0.
Alex Sharp finished in 23rd place with a time of 21:58.1, while Lily Porth placed 31st in 22:09.8, rounding out the top five.
Next up, the Wave will compete at the NCAA South Central Regional Championship on Friday, Nov. 15 in College Station, Texas.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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