Wednesday, October 07, 2009

MACON, Ga. - USC Upstate’s freshman Gilbert Kemboi picked up his third A-Sun Runner of the Week honors on the heels of his second-place finish at the Charlotte Invitational.

The USC Upstate men’s cross country team finished fourth in the 21-school event at Friday’s Charlotte Invitational thanks to a strong run by the freshman. The native of Eldoret, Kenya finished in second place out of 198 runners and his time of 24:28.40 established both a personal record and a school record. The nursing major previous personal best occurred when set the school record with a time of 25:00 at the Eye Opener Invitational. Kemboi finished in first or second in the four races he has competed in this season.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Kenneth Rotich, ETSU (Sr. - Nairobi, Kenya - Engineering Technology) -- For the third straight time this season, senior Rotich led the Bucs across the finish line. The reigning A-Sun Runner of the Year paced the Bucs by finishing 30th overall at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday afternoon. Rotich shaved over minute off his 8K time by clocking in at 24:49.11. This meet was the largest cross country event hosted in the south region, as it had 334 runners and 38 collegiate teams.

Terence Attema, Campbell (Jr. - Smithville, Ontario, Canada - Math) -- Attema led the Campbell men’s unit, finishing 15th with an 8K personal best time of 25:11 at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, N.C.