NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State freshman Clinton Kipruto has been named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the third time this season, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Kipruto (Fr., Kapsabet, Kenya) earned the honor following another standout performance at the Paul Short Run presented by ASICS on Friday at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.
Competing in the Men's College Gold 8K, Kipruto placed fifth overall with a time of 24 minutes, 10.4 seconds, finishing just 10.6 seconds behind individual champion Nick Sloff of Penn State. The Norfolk State freshman finished ahead of more than 300 runners in one of the nation's largest collegiate cross country fields.
Kipruto positioned himself among the leaders from the start, passing the opening mile in second place at 4:43.0. After sitting sixth at the two-mile mark, he surged into first during the third mile and remained at the front of the field through the four-mile checkpoint before ultimately crossing the finish line fifth.
His performance helped Norfolk State finish 11th overall in a competitive field that featured programs including Penn State, Pittsburgh, Navy, Penn, Army West Point and Liberty. The Spartans totaled 305 points, while their five scoring runners averaged 25:04.0 over the 8K course.
Wednesday's recognition marks Kipruto's third MEAC Runner of the Week award through his first three collegiate races. He previously earned back-to-back weekly honors after winning the Spider Alumni Open in his collegiate debut and following that performance with an individual victory at the Virginia Invitational.
Norfolk State continues its season on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Panorama Farms Invitational in Earlysville, Va. The Spartans will then turn their attention to the MEAC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30 in Cary, N.C.
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