TERRE HAUTE, Ind.—Auburn junior Joyce Kimeli finished 14th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday, capping one of the best single-season performances by a Tiger cross country runner in recent history. Kimeli crossed the 6k course in 20:26.2 at the Lavern Gibson Course in Terre Haute, Ind., marking the third-best finish ever by an Auburn woman at the cross country championships.
Kimeli's finish was the best by an Auburn runner since Holly Knight was 11th in 2008. Her finish has only been bested at Auburn by Knight and Angela Homan who was ninth in 2004.
The Eldoret, Kenya native got off to a solid start, running with the lead group thru the first half of the race before dropping to seventh after 4k. Weather conditions were not idea for the competitors as rain and cold conditions existed during the race.
By finishing in the top 40 of the 254 competitors, Kimeli earned All-America honors, becoming the fifth Tiger female in program history to accomplish the feat. Other Auburn women to earn All-American honors in program history include: Rachel Sauder (1994, '95), Janet Trujillo (1996), Angela Homan (2003, '04, '05), and Holly Knight (2008).
Kimeli closed the 2019 cross country season as one of the most decorated Tigers in recent memory. She won the NCAA South Regional, was named the USTFCCCA South Regional Athlete of the Year and earned All-SEC first-team honors after finishing third at the conference meet.
Auburn Women Individual Results at the NCAA Championships
1994 Rachel Sauder 28th
1995 Rachel Sauder 30th
1996 Janet Trujillo 31st
2000 Nerissa Johnson 87th
2001 Alexis Hamblet 117th
2002 Catherine Wanyoike 74th
2003 Angela Homan t-32nd
2003 Catherine Wanyoike 63rd
2004 Angela Homan 9th
2005 Angela Homan 30th
2008 Holly Knight 11th
2010 Holly Knight 79th
2015 Brenda Kigen 54th
2016 Veronica Eder 63rd
2017 Brenda Kigen 102nd
2018 Joyce Kimeli 106th
2019 Joyce Kimeli 14th