Sally Kipyego
Encyclopedia
Sally Kipyego is a runner who competed as part of the Texas Tech Red Raiders
cross country and track and field teams. She is the first Kenyan woman to win a NCAA cross country
individual championship, the first woman to win three consecutive NCAA
Division I Cross Country titles, and the first runner to win three consecutive Big 12 Conference
cross country titles. She is tied with Suzy Favor-Hamilton
for the most individual championships in NCAA history. Kipyego won more individual NCAA championships in 2 years than any other runner in NCAA history. Academically, Kipyego earned a nursing degree. She runs professionally on the International Association of Athletics Federations' ("IAAF") World Athletics Tour. She is sponsored by Nike, Inc.
, finishing eighth. However, a stress fracture kept her off both the 2002 and 2003 teams before entering college in the United States
.
cross country individual championship. In December 2006, she was chosen as the top female college cross-country athlete in the United States. This honor made her the recipient of the 2007 Honda Sports Award
and gave her an automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award. Kipyego is also one of only seven women in NCAA history to win four individual track titles during a single season.
On November 19, 2007, Kipyego won her second consecutive cross country national championship. In doing so, she set a new course
record, beating the previous one by 18 seconds.
.
On March 14, 2008, Kipyego won her sixth national title at the 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 5000 m, again with a world-leading time. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Kipyego the USTFCCCA Division I Indoor Track & Field Women's Track Athlete of the Year for 2008. Later, the association also awarded Kipyego the Women’s Athlete of the Year honor for the 2008 outdoor season as well.
On May 5, 2008, Kipyego set the NCAA 10,000 meter record in a time of 31:25.45 at the Stanford invitational (Palo Alto, CA), besting the previous record held by Lisa Koll by over 45 seconds. The record stood for almost two years, when it was taken back by Koll on the very same track in 2010.
On June 13, 2008, Kipyego won her seventh national title at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5000 m, with an NCAA meet record time. She followed that performance with a second-place finish in the 1500 m on June 14, 2008. On November 1, 2008, Kipyego won the Big 12
Cross Country Championships with a time of 19:45, more than 50 seconds faster than second-place teammate Lillian Badaru. Her victory helped the Texas Tech women win their first conference championship. Kipyego became the first runner since the creation of the conference to win three consecutive conference titles.
. She was the first athlete to be honored three times with the program's cross-country award. Kipyego finished her college career at the 2009 Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. She earned her ninth individual title by winning the 5000 meter. This tied her with Wisconsin's
Suzy Favor-Hamilton
for the most NCAA individual championships. It took Kipyego only two and a half years to accomplish what Favor-Hamilton did in four. In her final collegiate race, the mile, three-tenths of a second separated Kipyego from winner Sarah Bowman of the University of Tennessee
.
Kipyego first enrolled at South Plains College
in Levelland, Texas
. After transferring to Texas Tech
, she applied to the nursing
program in February 2007. Kipyego received an acceptance letter and began her first nursing class on July 5, 2007. Kipyego earned her nursing degree May 2009.
, Marakwet District
. Her elder brothers, Mike Kipyego and Christopher Kipyego, are also runners.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
cross country and track and field teams. She is the first Kenyan woman to win a NCAA cross country
NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
Each autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
individual championship, the first woman to win three consecutive NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I Cross Country titles, and the first runner to win three consecutive Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
cross country titles. She is tied with Suzy Favor-Hamilton
Suzy Favor-Hamilton
Suzy Favor-Hamilton is a former American professional middle distance runner.-Biography:Suzy Favor-Hamilton was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin to Conrad and Rachel Favor. She began running at age nine, and then attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High, graduating in 1986...
for the most individual championships in NCAA history. Kipyego won more individual NCAA championships in 2 years than any other runner in NCAA history. Academically, Kipyego earned a nursing degree. She runs professionally on the International Association of Athletics Federations' ("IAAF") World Athletics Tour. She is sponsored by Nike, Inc.
Before 2007
Sally Kipyego's running career started in 2000 when she was 14. The following year, she represented Kenya as a junior at the IAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
, finishing eighth. However, a stress fracture kept her off both the 2002 and 2003 teams before entering college in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
2007
After coming to America, Kipyego continued her running career, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win a NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
cross country individual championship. In December 2006, she was chosen as the top female college cross-country athlete in the United States. This honor made her the recipient of the 2007 Honda Sports Award
Honda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
and gave her an automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award. Kipyego is also one of only seven women in NCAA history to win four individual track titles during a single season.
On November 19, 2007, Kipyego won her second consecutive cross country national championship. In doing so, she set a new course
LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Indiana was dedicated October 17, 1997. This course has the distinction of being one of the few purpose-built cross-country courses in the world. The facility is part of that comprise the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center just...
record, beating the previous one by 18 seconds.
2008
As the nation's top collegiate female cross country runner, Kipyego was selected to receive the 2008 Honda Sports AwardHonda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
.
On March 14, 2008, Kipyego won her sixth national title at the 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 5000 m, again with a world-leading time. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Kipyego the USTFCCCA Division I Indoor Track & Field Women's Track Athlete of the Year for 2008. Later, the association also awarded Kipyego the Women’s Athlete of the Year honor for the 2008 outdoor season as well.
On May 5, 2008, Kipyego set the NCAA 10,000 meter record in a time of 31:25.45 at the Stanford invitational (Palo Alto, CA), besting the previous record held by Lisa Koll by over 45 seconds. The record stood for almost two years, when it was taken back by Koll on the very same track in 2010.
On June 13, 2008, Kipyego won her seventh national title at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5000 m, with an NCAA meet record time. She followed that performance with a second-place finish in the 1500 m on June 14, 2008. On November 1, 2008, Kipyego won the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Cross Country Championships with a time of 19:45, more than 50 seconds faster than second-place teammate Lillian Badaru. Her victory helped the Texas Tech women win their first conference championship. Kipyego became the first runner since the creation of the conference to win three consecutive conference titles.
2009
In 2009, Kipyego was awarded her third consecutive Honda Sports AwardHonda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
. She was the first athlete to be honored three times with the program's cross-country award. Kipyego finished her college career at the 2009 Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. She earned her ninth individual title by winning the 5000 meter. This tied her with Wisconsin's
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
Suzy Favor-Hamilton
Suzy Favor-Hamilton
Suzy Favor-Hamilton is a former American professional middle distance runner.-Biography:Suzy Favor-Hamilton was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin to Conrad and Rachel Favor. She began running at age nine, and then attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High, graduating in 1986...
for the most NCAA individual championships. It took Kipyego only two and a half years to accomplish what Favor-Hamilton did in four. In her final collegiate race, the mile, three-tenths of a second separated Kipyego from winner Sarah Bowman of the University of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
.
National titles
| Year | Competition | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Division I Cross Country Championships | 1st | |
| 2007 | Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships | 3000 m | 1st |
| 5000 m | 1st | ||
| Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships | 10000 m | 1st | |
| 5000 m | 2nd | ||
| Division I Cross Country Championships | 1st | ||
| 2008 | Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships | 5000 m | 1st |
| Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships | 5000 m | 1st | |
| 1500 m | 2nd | ||
| Division I Cross Country Championships | 1st | ||
| 2009 | Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships | 5000 m | 1st |
| Mile | 2nd | ||
Nursing
When Kipyego was four years old, her father died, leaving her mother alone to raise seven children. The family was poor and her mother was often sick. When Kipyego was eleven, her brother's friend suffered an injury in a bicycle accident. Kipyego ran seven miles to the nearest clinic but the doctor was intoxicated and kicked her out. These events gave Kipyego the desire to become a nurse so she could help provide better healthcare in her native country.Kipyego first enrolled at South Plains College
South Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
in Levelland, Texas
Levelland, Texas
Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...
. After transferring to Texas Tech
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, she applied to the nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
program in February 2007. Kipyego received an acceptance letter and began her first nursing class on July 5, 2007. Kipyego earned her nursing degree May 2009.
Personal life
Kipyego went to Moi Kapcherop Girls High School in KapcheropKapcherop
Kapcherop is a town and administrative division of the Marakwet District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.The administrative division had a population of 39,328 in 1999.The town is the birthplace of Kenyan runner Ismael Kirui....
, Marakwet District
Marakwet District
Marakwet District is an administrative district in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kapsowar. The district has a population of 140.629 . Local people are predominantly of the Marakwet tribe....
. Her elder brothers, Mike Kipyego and Christopher Kipyego, are also runners.
External links
- Player Bio at Texas Tech Athletics