KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Tennessee Southern sophomore Frankline Kipruto has been named the NAIA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week following his championship-winning performance at the Appalachian Challenge during the week ending Oct. 25.
The national honor is the latest milestone in a historic season for Kipruto and the Firehawks. With the selection, Kipruto becomes just the second runner in UT Southern men's cross country history to earn NAIA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors, joining former Firehawk standout Bruno Villazon, who became the program's first national runner of the week recipient.
Kipruto earned the award after capturing the individual championship at the Appalachian Challenge, defeating a field that featured runners from three NAIA Top 10 programs, including No. 1 Cumberlands, No. 6 UT Southern, and No. 8 Milligan.
The sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya crossed the finish line in 23:33.4 over the 8K course, averaging 4:44.3 per mile while edging Cumberlands' Luca Madeo by just four-tenths of a second. His victory helped lead the Firehawks to a third-place team finish against one of the deepest fields assembled in the NAIA this season.
The national recognition comes just days after Kipruto earned his seventh career SSAC Runner of the Week honor, his fifth of the 2026 season, and his third consecutive conference weekly award.
Throughout the fall, Kipruto has established himself as one of the NAIA's premier runners, capturing multiple individual titles, breaking the UT Southern 8K school record multiple times, and helping guide the Firehawks to a tie for No. 6 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, matching the highest national ranking in program history.
UT Southern will next compete at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship on Nov. 6 in Clinton, Mississippi, where Kipruto and the Firehawks will continue their pursuit of conference and national postseason success.
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