SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington State University cross country swept the West Coast Conference Championships as Solomon Kipchoge and Rosemary Longisa claimed the individual titles. With the team victory this morning, the women earned the first cross country conference championship in program history. The men's team earned their first conference championship in 50 years, dating back to their fourth conference title in 1975. 
 
Rosemary Longisa and Zenah Cheptoo started the race at the front of the pack and took off away from the pack about halfway through the race. Longisa took charge with two kilometers left in the race, and nobody could catch her. Longisa finished the race with a time of 19 minutes and 35 seconds, 11 seconds over the second-place finisher. Longisa takes home her fourth title in five races of her inaugural collegiate season.
 
"I had a lot of confidence going into this race, and I was looking forward to winning," Rosemary Longisa said Saturday morning after her WCC Championship victory.
 
Stellar performances from Zenah Cheptoo, Caroline Jepkorir, and Nicole Bissell led the Cougars to a conference championship. Cheptoo finished in third with a time of 20 minutes and 1.1 seconds, while Jepkorir finished eighth with a time of 20 minutes and 35.4 seconds. Nicole Bissell, in her hometown race, had one of the best races of her career, finishing ninth with a time of 20 minutes and 26.6 seconds. True freshman Kylah Madariaga continued with the stellar Cougar performances, finishing 17th with a time of 20 minutes and 49.2 seconds.
 
"It brought me to tears when [Nicole] was finishing," women's head coach Laura Harmon said after Nicole Bissell's impressive ninth-place finish Saturday morning.
 
Evans Kurui, Solomon Kipchoge, and Vincent Koech led the pack as the Cougs got underway in the 8k Championship. Evans Kurui was the one to break away from his other teammates and lead the race for the first half. Solomon Kipchoge was determined not to let his teammate get away that easily and caught up to him with about 3 kilometers left in the race. There was no stopping Kipchoge after that, winning the race and finishing with a time of 22 minutes and 32.6 seconds. Kipchoge won his second race and fifth podium finish of the season.
 
"We all came together as a team," race winner Solomon Kipchoge said Saturday morning. "We have a good coaching staff… I feel like I am at home."

Evans Kurui finished in second with a time of 22 minutes and 57.6 seconds, while Josphat Meli impressed with a fifth-place finish and a time of 23 minutes and 35.6 seconds. Kutoven Stevens ran his best race of the year, finishing in eighth with a time of 23 minutes and 42.4 seconds, to help the team to a championship. Vincent Koech rounded out the top 10 with a time of 23 minutes and 45.4 seconds.
 
"A lot of hard work behind the scenes…the team was awesome and executed very well," Head coach Wayne Phipps said after the WCC Championship victory Saturday morning.
 
The Cougs will be in action at the NCAA West Regionals in Sacramento, California, Friday, November 14.

 
 
Women's 6k – WSU Individuals 
Rosemary Longisa, 19:35.0, 1st
 
Zenah Cheptoo, 20:01.1, 3rd
 
Caroline Jepkorir, 2035.4, 8th
 
Nicole Bissell, 20:36.6, 9th
 
Kylah Madariaga, 20:49.2, 17th
 
Aleeya Cossey, 21:06.3, 24th
 
Kaleena Narus, 21:22.1, 28th
 
Hailey Cossey, 21:29.6, 29th
 
Taylor Sletner, 21:36.3, 32nd
 
Daphne Evenson, 22:11.9, 44th
 

Men's 8k - WSU Individuals 
Solomon Kipchoge, 22:32.6, 1st
 
Evans Kurui, 22:57.6, 2nd
 
Josphat Meli, 23:35.6, 5th
 
Kutoven Stevens, 23:42.4, 8th
 
Vincent Koech, 23:45.4, 10th
 
Evan Bruce, 24:16.4, 25th
 
Kade Brownell, 24:52.1, 35th
 
Leo Cook, 25:16.6, 45th
 
Grayson Wilcott, 25:40.8, 61st
 
Aiden Emerson, 26:18.1, 67th