NIACC's Kipkemboi wins ICCAC weekly award

MASON CITY - The awards keep coming in for NIACC's Melvin Kipkemboi.

On Tuesday, Kipkemboi was selected as the ICCAC's Division II cross country men's athlete of the week for the week of Oct. 11-17.

It is the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career that Kipkemboi has won the ICCAC weekly honor. He also won the award this season for the weeks of Aug. 30-Sept. 5, Sept. 20-26 and Oct. 4-10.

On Monday, Kipkemboi was selected as the USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II men's athlete of the week.

Kipkemboi placed second last Friday at the Indian Hills Invitational in the 8-kilometer race on the Cedar Creek Golf Course in a personal best time of 24 minutes, 50 seconds. Iowa Western freshman Nicholas Kiprotich was the individual champion in a time of 24:24.

Kipkemboi's personal best time of 24:50 was one second off the school record of 24:49 by Wal Khat in the 2016 season. Kipkemboi's previous personal best time was 24:58 at the 2020 NJCAA Division II national meet in Fort Dodge when he claimed the individual national title.

NIACC returns to action Oct. 29 at the NJCAA Region XI Division II championships in Waterloo where the Trojans will defend their regional title.