MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Frankline Kipruto and Vera Maisaje, both of UT Southern, were named SSAC Men's and Women's Cross Country Runners of the Week. The awards are based on performance for the weekend of October 24.
Frankline Kipruto (UT Southern – SO – Eldoret, Kenya)
- This is his seventh career weekly honor, fifth of 2026 and third straight
- Kipruto captured the individual championship at the Appalachian Challenge, winning a loaded field that featured three of the NAIA's top 10 teams
- He averaged 4:44.3 per mile to cross the finish line of the 8K race at 23:33.4, four-tenths of a second faster than second place
Vera Maisaje (UT Southern – JR – Lagos, Nigeria)
- This is her fifth consecutive weekly honor
- Maisaje ran an 18:22 5K to finish sixth overall at the Appalachian Challenge, competing against three top-25 teams in the field
- She averaged 5:54.8 per mile, leading UTS to a fifth place team finish
Previous Winners (Men, Women)
Week 1: Frankline Kipruto (UT Southern), Kristina Stojanovic (William Carey)
Week 2: Jonah Barnhardt (Blue Mountain), Ella Shepherd (Blue Mountain)
Week 3: Frankline Kipruto (UT Southern), Vera Maisaje (UT Southern)
Week 4: Spencer Head (UT Southern), Vera Maisaje (UT Southern)
Week 5: Frankline Kipruto (UT Southern), Vera Maisaje (UT Southern)
Week 6: Frankline Kipruto (UT Southern), Vera Maisaje (UT Southern)