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Elkana Kipruto

Kipruto Finishes Runner-Up, Shockers Beat Two Nationally Ranked Teams at Pre-Nats

10/16/2026 2:58:00 PM

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Wichita State's Elkana Kipruto recorded a runner-up finish at the Pre-National Invitational for the second-straight season, leading the Shockers to a fourth-place team finish Friday morning at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
 
The Shocker men took down two nationally ranked programs, defeating No. 26 Arizona and No. 29 North Carolina to place fourth behind No. 8 Syracuse (1st), No. 14 Villanova (2nd) and No. 15 Notre Dame (3rd). Wichita State also finished ahead of conference rival and American Conference preseason favorite Tulane, who took 11th.
 
Kipruto and Nicholas Kipchirchir finished second and third behind Tulane's Silas Kiptanui with only one second separating each of the three runners, setting up for what should be a highly competitive American Conference Championship race on Oct. 31. Kiptanui finished the 8K race in 23:17.4, Kipruto ran 23:18.8, and Kipchirchir recorded a time of 23:19.8.
 
Dennis Rono and Kelvin Kipyego finished side-by-side in 57th and 58th, respectively, with times of 24:01.9 and 24:02.2, and Austin Carrera was the final scorer for the Shockers, taking 92nd with a time of 24:15.6.
 
Vivien Kipkorir was the lone Shocker woman to race in the blue division, finishing 63rd with a 6K time of 20:35.5, while the rest of the Wichita State women raced in the white race as a team. Francesca Alvarado was the first Shocker to cross the line in the white race, running 21:59.9 to finish 65th. Kalyn Willingham ran a personal-best time of 22:25.5 to finish 122nd, and Irene Andujar Martinez (129th; 22:28.3), Mercy Jepkoech (130th; 22:28.3) and Isabelle Hartnett (188th; 22:57.7) rounded out the scoring to give Wichita State a 16th-place team finish.
 
The Pre-National Invitational wraps up the regular season for the Shockers as they look ahead to the American Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31 in New Orleans, La. at Lake Oaks Park.
MEN'S RESULTS
Blue Race
2 Elkana Kipruto 23:18.8
3 Nicholas Kipchirchir 23:19.8
57 Dennis Rono 24:01.9
58 Kelvin Kipyego 24:02.2
92 Austin Carrera 24:15.6
252 Jacob Meyers 25:03.3
276 Jonah Allison 25:16.0
304 Bennett Meoli 25:35.2
27 Greyson Ellensohn 25:06.6
42 Landen O'Neill 25:14.3
White Race
27 Greyson Ellensohn 25:06.6
42 Landen O'Neill 25:14.3

WOMEN'S RESULTS
Blue Race
63 Vivien Kipkorir 20:35.5

White Race
65 Francesca Alvarado 21:59.9
122 Kalyn Willingham 22:25.5
129 Irene Andujar Martinez 22:28.3
130 Mercy Jepkoech 22:28.3
188 Isabelle Hartnett 22:57.7
190 Jordyn Picolet 22:58.7
200 Jasmine Stiede 23:07.5
208 Emily See 23:13.7
242 Amanda Treptow 23:58.3
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