Friday, October 30
Blacksburg, VA
University of Louisville
vs
ACC Cross Country Championships
October 30, 2026 | Cross Country
The sophomore earned the first Louisville men’s championship in the ACC
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Elsingi Kipruto stole the show Friday for University of Louisville cross country, taking the men's individual crown at the ACC Cross Country Championships at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course.
His program- and course-record 8K time of 22:03.5 marks the first individual conference championship for the Cardinals' cross country program since Dorcas Wasike won the women's title in 2018 and the first men's individual title since Louisville joined the ACC.
Tyler Byrne was the last Louisville men's runner to win a conference championship, doing so when the program competed in the American Athletic Conference in 2013.
"The last hill was good for me, I opened the gap," Kipruto said. "I've been working through finishing."
Kipruto's standout performance helped the men to an eighth-place team finish, their best since 2016, tying last year's finish. Nickson Kogei and Kelvin Kipleting finished fourth and 30th, respectively, with 8K times of 22:38.4 and 23:20.3.
For their efforts, Kipruto and Kogei both earned All-ACC honors after each finished in the top 21 runners.
Spenser Wolf finished 119th in 24:57.3, while Ethan Brouw placed 133rd in 25:20.1 to round out Louisville's scoring five and secure the Cardinals' 246-point total.
Nancy Chepleting continued to lead the women's side this season, finishing 17th in Blacksburg with a program-record 6K time of 19:36.8. The mark bettered her previous school record of 19:55.0, set at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 4, 2024, and earned her All-ACC honors.
The Cardinals followed Chepleting's lead to an 11th-place team finish. Winnie Ndiwa finished second among Louisville's scorers, placing 53rd in 20:18.2. Libby Dowty finished 65th in 20:30.3, while Haley Meade's time of 20:36.0 earned her 72nd place.
Julia Schmitt rounded out Louisville's scoring five, placing 88th in 20:53.2.
ACC Cross Country Championships
October 30, 2026
Blacksburg, Va. | Buford Meredith Cross Country Course
* = Program Record
Men's 8K
Elsingi Kipruto – 22:03.5 *
Nickson Kogei – 22:38.4
Kelvin Kipleting – 23:20.3
Spenser Wolf – 24:57.3
Ethan Brouw – 25:20.1
Josiah Hortin – 26:24.2
Carter Knox – 26:41.7
Women's 6K
Nancy Chepleting – 19:36.8 *
Winnie Ndiwa – 20:18.2
Libby Dowty – 20:30.3
Haley Meade – 20:36.0
Julia Schmitt – 20:53.2
Temi Ariyo – 20:57.6
Heidi Meade – 21:29.7
Olivia Alessandrini – 21:38.9
Maddie Seaby – 21:43.2
Isabella Day – DNF
Up Next
Louisville sets its sights now toward the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 13 in Spartanburg, S.C. Kipruto finished runner-up as a freshman last year as part of his All-America campaign.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com or follow the team's Instagram and X accounts at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
His program- and course-record 8K time of 22:03.5 marks the first individual conference championship for the Cardinals' cross country program since Dorcas Wasike won the women's title in 2018 and the first men's individual title since Louisville joined the ACC.
Tyler Byrne was the last Louisville men's runner to win a conference championship, doing so when the program competed in the American Athletic Conference in 2013.
"The last hill was good for me, I opened the gap," Kipruto said. "I've been working through finishing."
Kipruto's standout performance helped the men to an eighth-place team finish, their best since 2016, tying last year's finish. Nickson Kogei and Kelvin Kipleting finished fourth and 30th, respectively, with 8K times of 22:38.4 and 23:20.3.
For their efforts, Kipruto and Kogei both earned All-ACC honors after each finished in the top 21 runners.
Spenser Wolf finished 119th in 24:57.3, while Ethan Brouw placed 133rd in 25:20.1 to round out Louisville's scoring five and secure the Cardinals' 246-point total.
Nancy Chepleting continued to lead the women's side this season, finishing 17th in Blacksburg with a program-record 6K time of 19:36.8. The mark bettered her previous school record of 19:55.0, set at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 4, 2024, and earned her All-ACC honors.
The Cardinals followed Chepleting's lead to an 11th-place team finish. Winnie Ndiwa finished second among Louisville's scorers, placing 53rd in 20:18.2. Libby Dowty finished 65th in 20:30.3, while Haley Meade's time of 20:36.0 earned her 72nd place.
Julia Schmitt rounded out Louisville's scoring five, placing 88th in 20:53.2.
ACC Cross Country Championships
October 30, 2026
Blacksburg, Va. | Buford Meredith Cross Country Course
* = Program Record
Men's 8K
Elsingi Kipruto – 22:03.5 *
Nickson Kogei – 22:38.4
Kelvin Kipleting – 23:20.3
Spenser Wolf – 24:57.3
Ethan Brouw – 25:20.1
Josiah Hortin – 26:24.2
Carter Knox – 26:41.7
Women's 6K
Nancy Chepleting – 19:36.8 *
Winnie Ndiwa – 20:18.2
Libby Dowty – 20:30.3
Haley Meade – 20:36.0
Julia Schmitt – 20:53.2
Temi Ariyo – 20:57.6
Heidi Meade – 21:29.7
Olivia Alessandrini – 21:38.9
Maddie Seaby – 21:43.2
Isabella Day – DNF
Up Next
Louisville sets its sights now toward the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 13 in Spartanburg, S.C. Kipruto finished runner-up as a freshman last year as part of his All-America campaign.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com or follow the team's Instagram and X accounts at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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