Jacky Kipwambok
THIS YEAR: Arguably the NAIA's premier distance runner this year, junior All-American Jacky Kipwambok is a 2-time NAIA runner-up in cross country ... A talented runner with great speed and endurance ... Will press for the national title ... Holds the school 5K course record at 16:57 ... Will be the focal point of the Cougars' national title defense ... Enters the season having won 6 of the previous 9 meets she's run while finishing second in the other 3.
2008 (sophomore): Enjoyed another outstanding season, winning 4 of the 6 races she ran and finishing second in the other 2 (Stanford and NAIA nationals) ... Broke the school 5K record with the first-ever sub 17-minute effort, winning the Great Lakes Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a 16:57 ... Repeated as GSAC champion and broke the meet record by 30 seconds with a 17:00 clocking at Woodward Park in Fresno ... Became only the third person ever and the second Cougar (Brianna Carstensen was the other) to capture back-to-back GSAC individual crowns ... Led Azusa Pacific to its first-ever victory at the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State by winning the individual race with a season-opening time of 17:13 ... Other victory came at the Vanguard Invitational where she recorded a 17:04 ... For the second consecutive year finished second at the NAIA Championship Meet with a 17:03.
2007 (freshman): Put together a marvelous freshman season in which she won the GSAC (17:47) and NAIA regional (17:26) championships and finished second to Canterbury in the NAIA championship meet (17:14), posting the second best 5K time in Cougar cross country history ... Is the fifth Cougar ever to win the GSAC crown ... Recorded a top 4 finish in 5 of the 6 meets she ran.
TRACK & FIELD: Is a 7-time NAIA All-American and 2-time national champion ... As a 2009 junior, won the NAIA outdoor 5000 (16:51.32) and 10,000 (34:48.21) titles, the first Cougar ever to accomplish that double ... As a 2008 sophomore was the NAIA runner-up in the indoor 5000 (17:20.31) and outdoor 5000 (16:55.36) ... Was also tenth in the 10,000 (34:41.93) ... Has won GSAC titles in the 1500 (2008) and 5000 (2009) ... Holds the school records in the 1500 (4:22.61), mile (4:54.16), 10,000 (34:26.78) ... Also holds GSAC-record in the 5000 (16:55.45).
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Ran one season of track & field at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kan. ... As a 2007 freshman was the NJCAA runner-up in the steeplechase (11:22.00) to help lead the Lady Tigers to a third place finish at the national junior college championship meet in Coffeyville, Kan. ... Also anchored Cowley's 4x800 to a fourth-place finish ... Was the Jayhawk Conference champion in the 1500, 5000 and 10,000 and was named the NJCAA Region VI women's track MVP of the championship meet after winning the 1500 and 10,000 while anchoring the 4x800 to the region title as well ... Set the school records in the steeplechase, 1500, 3000, 5000, 10,000 and 4x800.
PERSONAL: Born Sept. 14, 1985, in Kapsabet, Kenya, to Wilson (farmer) and Leah (farmer) Kipwambok ... Has 5 brothers (Steve, Nick, Dary, Evan, Obadiah) and 3 sisters (Nattali, Silas, Jennifer) ... Majoring in nursing with a minor in applied health.
