NORFOLK, Va.- The 2012 season holds much promise for the Norfolk State University men's cross country team.  With five letterwinners returning to the team, the Spartans hope to win their fifth straight conference championship this season. 

NSU welcomes back a trio of All-MEAC runners including senior Vincent Rono and juniors Nathnael Meseret and Damtew Adnew.  Rono finished sixth at the 2011 MEAC Championship.  He ran a personal best time of 25:46 at the Great American Cross Country Festival.  Meseret placed fifth at the 2011 MEAC Championship with a running time of 26:22.49.  His top time of 25:41earned him a third-place finish at the Great American Cross Country Festival.  Adnew finished 13th at last year's conference meet. 

Senior Kameron George also returns to the Spartans.  He finished 22nd at the 2011 MEAC Championship.  His top time of 27:20 last season also came at the Great American Cross Country Festival. 

NSU lost Josef Tessema and Philemon Kimutai from last season.  Tessema won the 2011 MEAC Championship with a time of 25:24.  Kimutai was a three-time All MEAC runner who placed 10th at last year's MEAC Championship.  Even though the Spartans lost one of their top runners in Tessema, head coach Kenneth Giles is confident that some of the incoming talent such as junior Kipchirchir Kiptoo, a transfer from Ole Miss, will make an immediate impact.  Kiptoo was named to the SEC all-freshman team and he ran a season-best 8K time of 25:16.72 at the 2011 Greater Louisville Classic.

“Kipchir will come in and challenge for the number one position.  He provides experience from the SEC.”  Giles said.

Other new faces for the Spartans are Aaron Dudley, Desmond Fogg, Peter Koskey, and Marquis Worsley.  Dudley finished seventh at the 2011 CIAA Cross Country Championships running a time of 26:58.   Fogg competed for Warwick High School and ran a 5,000-meter personal best time of 16:39 at the 2011 Peninsula District Cross Country Championship.  Koskey will be an immediate impact runner for the Spartans.  Last season Worsley ran a 5K time of 16:31 at the Virginia High School League Cross Country Championship.  He finished in third place at last season's Great American Cross Country Festival, running a season best time of 15:53.

Senior Vincent Brown was very steady throughout the 2011 season, but will redshirt this season.

After finishing 20th in the 2011 NCAA Southeast Regional Championship, coach Giles said that this year he wants to focus more on training for the regional level.  He believes that competing in meets such as the Pre-National Meet in October will prepare his team for a run into the postseason.