NIACC's Kipkemboi claims NJCAA weekly honor
MASON CITY – Just call it a clean sweep.
NIACC sophomore standout Melvin Kipkemboi won the weekly cross country awards that he was nominated for this week.
On Wednesday, Kipkemboi earned the NJCAA Division II men's runner of the week for the week of Sept. 20-26.
Kipkemboi was also the USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II men's cross country athlete of the week and the ICCAC Division II cross country athlete of the week.
Kipkemboi placed fourth in the Maroon Division II race at the 35th annual University of Minnesota's Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 24.
Kipkemboi covered the rainy 8k course on the Les Bolstad Golf Course in a time of 25:48 in a race made up mainly of NCAA Division II runners. His fourth-place finish in the Division II race was the highest ever by a NIACC men's runner.
NIACC's Wal Khat placed fifth in 26:18 in the Division II race in 2016 and Trent Smith placed ninth in 2012 in 25:55. Kipkemboi's time of 25:48.7 is the fastest ever by a NIACC men's runner at the Griak Invitational. The previous best time was Smith's 25:55 in 2012.
It is the second time Kipkemboi's career that he has earned the NJCAA Division II cross country runner of the week award. He won the award for the week of Sept. 7-13 in the 2020 season.
NIACC returns to action Oct. 8 in the Trent Smith Invitational on the NIACC campus.