CHARLOTTE, NC – Faith Kiplimo of Fayetteville State University has been named the CIAA Cross Country Female Performer of the Year, as voted on by the league's cross country coaches. The honor marks the second consecutive season that Kiplimo has earned the conference's top individual award.

A sophomore nursing major from Eldoret, Kenya, Kiplimo has been the standard-bearer for women's cross country in the CIAA throughout the 2026 season. Entering the championship portion of the schedule, she is ranked as the No. 1 female runner in the conference and No. 5 in the Atlantic Region.

Kiplimo opened her season with an 18th-place finish at the Queen City Invite, covering the 5K course in 18:16.9. She followed that performance with a runner-up finish at the Rams Atlantic Region Preview, clocking a 6K time of 22:37.3 while competing against one of the top fields in the region.

Her strongest race of the season came at the Royals Cross Country Challenge, where she posted a personal-best 5K time of 17:38.6 and finished 11th overall against a highly competitive field. That performance further solidified her standing among the top runners in both the conference and region.

Throughout the season, Kiplimo consistently placed among the top finishers while helping elevate Fayetteville State's presence on the regional stage. Her combination of consistency, championship-caliber performances, and success against elite competition earned her recognition from the CIAA coaches for the second consecutive year.

Kiplimo and the Broncos will now turn their attention to the CIAA Cross Country Championship, where she will look to lead Fayetteville State in pursuit of a ninth consecutive conference title while defending her status as the league's top female runner.