CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Fayetteville State men's cross country team opened its season with a strong showing, placing sixth overall in a competitive six-team field with 171 points in the 8K race.
Franklin Kipchirchir paced the Broncos with an outstanding second-place finish, crossing the line in 24:45.5. Kipchirchir remained among the leaders throughout the race, clocking 7:29.1 at the 2.4K mark, 15:51.1 through 5.1K, and 24:12.8 at 7.8K before finishing less than a minute behind the individual champion.
Fayetteville State placed three runners among the top 40 finishers.
Brian Kiprop finished 15th overall in 25:22.7, while
Dominic Malel recorded a 36th-place finish with a time of 26:10.6.
Rowny Kipchirchir added a 56th-place performance in 26:48.1, and
Ian Kiprono rounded out the Broncos' scoring five in 101st place with a time of 27:53.2.
Collins Serem finished just behind at 27:57.8, while
Ivan Taylor completed the course in 32:02.6.
As a team, Fayetteville State totaled 171 points, finishing behind Charlotte (41), North Florida (44), Marshall (138), Elon (149), and Lenoir-Rhyne (154). The Broncos' effort was highlighted by Kipchirchir's individual runner-up performance and a solid pack run from the team's top four scorers.
The Broncos will prepare for their next meet, the Rams Atlantic Region Preview, hosted by Winston-Salem State University on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, N.C. The men's race is scheduled to begin following the women's competition.
