MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama cross country runner Micah Tirop was named the Sun Belt Conference Runner of the Week on Tuesday, as announced by the league office. The two-time defending SBC champion also received the honor in the season's first week.
"I'm very happy with how I ran and this was my first very competitive 8k of the year. I am excited about how I ran against the best competition in the nation," Tirop said. "It gave me a lot of confidence for the Sun Belt Conference [meet] and I plan on running for the team at conference."
Last weekend, the Eldoret, Kenya native placed 13th at Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. with a time of 24:03.6. The Jaguars ran against nine top-30 nationally ranked teams, four of which are were ranked in the top 10.
"It was great to see Micah run with the top runners in the country. He was in third place through five thousand meters and if he hadn't led the chase pack he could have finished even higher," said distance coach Tim Goldsack. "Micah has the ability to get his first All-American certificate this cross country season."
The Jaguars take a week off before beginning the championship portion of the season. The team will compete at the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Oct. 31 in Monroe, La.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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