Final Results

CARY, N.C. – The Norfolk State men’s cross country team breezed to victory on Saturday afternoon at the HBCU Challenge section of the Great American Cross Country Festival. The Spartans tallied 29 points, well ahead of Hampton (72) in the 12-team field.

Norfolk State sophomore Philemon Kimutai (Eldoret, Kenya) earned a first-place finish for the second week in a row. His time of 24 minutes, 46 seconds represents a season-best for Kimutai and ranks as the fastest 8K time in the MEAC this season.

But Kimutai wasn’t the only Spartan to turn in a season-best on Saturday. Four of the Spartans’ other five runners also ran their fastest times of the season, led by sophomore Amos Kipkosgei (Eldoret, Kenya). The New York Tech transfer finished third in 25:11, just ahead of Josef Tessema (Springfield, Va.), who finished fourth in 25:24.

Freshman Kameron George (Brooklyn, N.Y.) placed 10th in a season-best 26:50, and senior Jonathan Soimo (Kapsabet, Kenya) rounded out the Spartans’ top five with an 11th-place finish (27:07).

Though he did not factor into the team score, freshman Vincent Brown (Peachtree City, Ga.) ran a season-best time of 27:46 to come in 14th.

The Spartans have the week off this Saturday before returning to competition on Oct. 17 at William & Mary.