Chebet, a senior, placed second at Percy Warner Park in the Belmont Opener on Aug.31, but with a longer race and stiffer competition, Chebet came out on top with a time of 24:36.15. In Chebet's first two races for the Hilltopper cross country team, he has finished first and second.
His performance was one of three top 30 finishes for WKU, as sophomores David Mokone and Sean Hurd placed 16th and 27th, respectively. The trio spearheaded the Hilltoppers' 10th-place finish in the 24-team event. Eastern Kentucky University took home the team honors while Miami (Ohio) and Tennessee finished second and third, respectively.
WKU cross country coach Erik Jenkins entered the Hilltoppers into the tightly-contested meet to give his runners experience versus the nation's high-caliber teams and was very pleased with Chebet's victory.
"Anytime you race the nations best and win you know you've accomplished something," said Jenkins. "The level of talent at this meet bodes well for us down the run."
Notable opponents the Hilltoppers outperformed were SEC foes Alabama, LSU and Vanderbilt and Sun Belt Conference rivals Middle Tennessee State and Georgia State.
"For them to run this well against this type of talent helps us build a foundation on what started in training for the season," said Jenkins.
Senior Vasity Chemweno set the pace for the Lady Toppers 6,000-meter race, finishing 45th overall with a time of 22:38. Freshman Lindsey Hinken was next to cross the line for WKU, coming in at 56th. As a team WKU finished 12th out of 25 competitors. Sixth-ranked Vanderbilt captured the women's win while Ole Miss and Eastern Kentucky followed.
In the stacked field that included eight SEC teams, the Lady Toppers emerged ahead of Tennessee and Sun Belt rival Middle Tennessee State.
"We're an inexperienced team in a lot of facets but I was proud of them," said Jenkins. "You have to take your lumps before you get where you need to be."
Men
1. Joseph Chebet 24:36.15
16. David Mokone 25:07.01
27. Sean Hurd 25:27.56
157. Lucas Somers
169. Jeff Walker
183. Ilia Eligulachvili
Women
45. Vasity Chemweno 22:38
56. Lindsey Hinken 22.49.29
90. Kim Dominguez 23:29.17
94. Katie Lever
100. Brianne Porter
110. Taylor Carlin
127. Sydney Settle
140. Madison Hale
156. Baylee Shofner
161. Kayln Bowers
170. Courtney Waterbury
181. Melissa Hurd
