PULLMAN, Wash. (Nov. 17, 2024) – Washington State Cross Country runners Zenah Cheptoo and Evans Kurui both qualified for the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the NCAA announced Saturday.
 
Cheptoo, a redshirt freshman from Kenya, earned her first trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships by finishing 10th at the NCAA West Regional Championships last Friday at the Colfax Golf Club in Colfax, Wash. Cheptoo, who finished the 6k course in 19:46.8, helped WSU to a seventh-place finish at the regional championships. Cheptoo is the fist Cougar female runner to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships since Erin Mullins did so in 2020.
 
Kurui, also a freshman from Kenya, captured his fourth victory in six meets in his first year as a Cougar. After capturing the West Coast Conference title Nov. 2, Kurui led from start-to-finish in Colfax, crossing the10k line in 28:53.7, 15 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Kurui ran almost a minute faster than the winner of the West Regional in 2019, when they were hosted at the same venue. Kurui becomes the first WSU men's NCAA qualifier since Amir Ado did so in 2021.
 
The 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course located in Madison, Wisc. The women's race will begin at 7:20 a.m. PT, followed by the men's race at 8:10 a.m. PT. Fans can watch the action live on ESPNU beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET.