MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The University of Tennessee Southern cross country programs continued their historic 2026 campaigns as Frankline Kipruto and Vera Maisaje were named the Southern States Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Runners of the Week for performances during the weekend of Oct. 2.
The honors mark another sweep for the Firehawks and follow standout performances at the Christian Brothers University Invitational, where both runners set program records while competing against fields dominated by NCAA Division I competition.
Kipruto earned his fifth career SSAC Runner of the Week award and his third honor of the 2026 season after leading the No. 10-ranked Firehawks to another historic performance.
The sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya shattered his own UT Southern 8K school record with a winning time of 23:30.7, averaging an incredible 4:43.8 per mile. Competing against a field filled with NCAA Division I runners from Arkansas State and UT Martin, Kipruto was the only athlete in the meet to break the 24-minute mark and captured the individual championship by nearly 40 seconds.
His performance helped UT Southern record the fastest team average in program history and finish just four points behind NCAA Division I UT Martin in the team standings.
On the women's side, Maisaje collected her third consecutive SSAC Runner of the Week honor, continuing one of the most impressive stretches in program history.
The junior from Lagos, Nigeria broke her own UT Southern 6K school record for the second consecutive meet, clocking 22:14.3 while averaging 5:57.8 per mile. Maisaje placed eighth overall against a field featuring NCAA Division I competitors from Arkansas State and UT Martin and helped lead the Firehawks to a fourth-place team finish.
The performance came just one week after Maisaje set the previous school record while winning the Firehawk Invitational, further cementing her status as one of the conference's premier runners.
With Kipruto and Maisaje leading the way, the Firehawks continue to build momentum heading into the championship portion of the season. Their latest conference honors add to an already remarkable year that has included multiple program records, national recognition, and historic performances against NCAA competition.
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