Cross Country | 10/31/2025 2:54:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Kelvin Kipyego and Elkana Kipruto elevated Wichita State's men's cross country in the obvious way that they run fast and score points.
 
That is not the first asset Zander Cobb mentions when discussing the addition of the top Shocker runners for this fall. He talks about their determination, their enthusiasm and upbeat nature.
 
"The team atmosphere is better with them than without," Cobb said. "They're lively, fun people. They bring another air of confidence to the team, too, because we've got these great guys we're training with every day. You know how someone who is better than you will drag you to become better."
 
The Shockers compete in the American Conference Championships in Concord, N.C., on Saturday (men's 10-kilometer race at 8:15 a.m., women's 6K at 9 a.m.).
 
The men have finished fourth or higher in five straight seasons and enter the race with perhaps its strongest team of the past 30 years. However, the competition at the top of the American with No. 18 Tulane and Tulsa, which won 10 straight conference titles before losing to the Green Wave in a tiebreaker in 2024, is daunting.
 
The addition of Kipyego and Kipruto, both sophomores from Kenya, vaulted the Shockers into eighth in the Midwest Region. They finished seventh – ahead of then-No. 22 Arkansas and regionally ranked teams such as Kansas, Purdue, Florida State, Tennessee, Florida and Kansas State – in the Pre-Nationals on Oct. 17. Kipruto finished second with a school-record time of 22 minutes, 45.6 seconds in the 8,000 meters, topping Jackson Caldwell's 2023 mark of 23:31.7.
 
The journey of Kipyego and Kipruto started with former Shocker Shadrack Chumba, a fellow Kenyan who finished ninth in the 2021 American meet and lives in Wichita. His connection with Kipyego played a role in his signing with the Shockers out of Crowder (Mo.) College. Kipyego and Kipruto are friends who grew up in the same village. When Kipruto decided to transfer from Stephen F. Austin, he wanted the comfort and challenge of running with Kipyego.
 
 

Pre-Nats Runner Up! 🥈 pic.twitter.com/BRzIZ8wgWC

— Wichita State T&F/XC (@GoShockersTFXC) October 17, 2025

"(Shadrack) told me how coach (Kirk) Hunter, the program and everything, can prepare you to become somebody who you want to be," Kipyego said. "When I decided to come here, I reached out to (Kipruto) and said 'Let's go to Wichita.'"
 
Kipyego and Kipruto started running together a mere two or three years ago. When Hunter asked them about high school personal records, they told him they didn't have their times.
 
"I feel like it's in our bloodstream," Kipruto said. "My father started pushing me, for getting me into condition. My elder brother ran marathons, and my father wanted me to follow his steps."
 
Kipruto came to Wichita State with a strong resume after winning the Southland Conference title, with a time of 24:28.9 in the 8K and finishing 13^th in the NCAA South Central Regional. He also won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in the Southland outdoor track and field meet.
 
"I feel like I'm improving every time," he said. "I like (Hunter), because this program is perfect. It's professional. He treats me like a professional."
 
As his time at Pre-Nationals proves, Kipruto appears on his way to becoming one of the program's greatest runners.
 
"We've had some very good guys, but Elly is at a whole different level," Hunter said. "He has a very high running I.Q. He's tough, yes, but he's smart. It's fun to watch to see somebody who knows how to manage a race the right way."
 
Kipyego gets credit for the recruiting assist. He has made significant strides as a runner in his short time at WSU by increasing his mileage and endurance. He finished 39^th at Pre-Nationals and has shaved 40 seconds off his 8K time from junior college.
 
"He's just unbelievably stronger," Hunter said. "He does practices, and his practices are all under his (personal records). The thing that I liked about him was he had speed (at Crowder). A lot of times when kids have speed, if I can just give him some strength, they're going to be a different athlete."
 
Kipyego planned to specialize in middle distances. His time at WSU is convincing him that he can excel at long distances.
 
"The problem is mental strength," he said. "Even if it doesn't show up this year, I know by next year I will be mentally strong to finish up really good. My body has responded. I'm heading home to finish strong."
 
To challenge Tulane and Tulsa, the Shockers need Kipruto, Kipyego and Adrian Lopez Diaz, who finished 18^th at Pre-Nationals, to continue their strong seasons. Runners such as Cobb and freshman Austin Carrera must close the gap with that front-running trio.
 
"It's all just coming into fruition," Cobb said. "It's the time to put it all together. There's lots of confidence on this team."
 
Lucy Ndungu, who finished as conference runner-up in 2023, and freshman Mercy Jepkoech, who finished 10^th in the 5K at the Chile Pepper Festival in early October, lead the women's team. The Shockers are ranked 15^th in the Midwest Region.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
 
Season tickets are on sale now, and season ticket renewals are available as well. To purchase, visit GoShockers.com/Tickets, dial 316-978-FANS (3267) or stop by the Shocker Ticket Office, located inside Charles Koch Arena, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.