All-Area runners named
St. Raphael, Cumberland among top teams
Years from now when Darius Kipyego is making international waves as a middle-distance extraordinaire following a stellar college career at Iowa State, hopefully there’s a mention of what he achieved on the cross-country circuit at St. Raphael Academy.
A repeat First-Team AllState selection, Kipyego compiled the kind of senior season that made it an easy call to tab him as MVP of the 2020 Call/Times All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Team. Among local competitors, no one came close to matching the lengthy list of credentials that Kipyego ultimately achieved in his final go-around in this particular running discipline.
To Kipyego, cross country was about fun. It was about enjoyment. Yes, there’s pressure to perform at a high level. Keep in mind, however, that we’re talking about an individual who this past summer competed against All-Americans and professionals on multiple occasions. No way was Kipyego going to be intimidated during the fall months.
To hear Kipyego spin it, there’s something about combing the backroads and wood-covered trails that yields a great deal of satisfaction – particularly when the topic centers on the camaraderie aspect of cross-country.
“It’s about having fun with the team,” said Kipyego. “Seeing everyone smiling and having fun, you couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.”
Added head coach Chris Magill, “Cross-country is just an add-on for him. He comes for the fun.”
A successful cross-country program needs at least one top performer, the kind of runner who can consistently score low by finishing near the top. Kipyego fit that profile and then some for this year’s SRA squad which qualified for the state meet based on the second-place showing that was achieved in the tough and deep Metropolitan Division.
Kipyego participated in all four regular-season dual meets, winning three times. It’s believed that Kipyego set a Slater Park course record when he posted a time of 14:49 in the Metropolitan Division finale on Oct. 24.
It became commonplace to see Kipyego quickly break away from the pack and cross the finish-line with plenty of time to spare. That proved to be the case at the Class C meet held Nov. 7 at Deerfield Park as Kipyego’s quest to repeat as champion was met with very little resistance. He sailed along by his lonesome en route to completing the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 16 seconds.
At the Nov. 14 state meet, Kipyego proved once again that he more than has what it takes to be a successful cross-country participant. For the longest time, he hung with the top pack of runners. Ultimately, he achieved a fourth-place finish in 16 minutes flat – not too shabby for someone whose special gift as a cross-country performer should not go unnoticed.
Additionally, Kipyego was included on the first team for Class C and the Metropolitan Division.