Kibiwot, Sanga Lead Cardinals at Live in Lou Classic

Saturday, October 2

LOUISVILLE, KY / E.P. TOM SAWYER PARK

University of Louisville

Live in Lou Classic

Ian Kibiwot and Shadrack Kipkosgei compete at Live in Lou

October 02, 2021 | Cross Country

Dale Cowper Post Meet Interview Live in Lou Men's Results Women Live in Lou Results

By: Nathaniel Jarrett

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville men's and women's cross country teams returned to the course on Saturday, Oct. 2 to post top-15 finishes in the 20^th annual Live in Lou Classic at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park.

In the men's 8000m gold race, Louisville recorded a point total of 196 to take fourth out of 36 teams. The women followed with 564 points to finish 15^th out of 44 teams competing in the 5000m gold race.

Freshman Ian Kibiwot led the men with a 15^th-place finish among 353 runners. The freshman turned in a time of 23:44.4 as the fourth runner through the 2.1K split and remained toward the front of the pack to lead three Cardinals who finished inside the top-25. Shadrack Kipkosgei clocked in at 23:56.9 to place 21^st followed right behind by Albert Kosgei in 22^nd at 23:57.5.

"On the men's side, the guys came out and did an excellent job. The front four came out and executed the race plan that Coach Heins put together at a really high level, so we're really excited about that," said head coach Dale Cowper. "I am excited about the times this morning, but most of all their effort. This is one of our top finishes out here."

Ben Ewert earned a personal-best time of 24:37.2 to place 68^th, improving on his previous mark by 37 seconds, which he ran in this event last season. Isaac Kiprop rounded out the men scorers with a 76^th-place finish at 24:41.9. Cooper Marchal also posted a new personal record at 25:33.4 to come in at the six spot for the Cardinals.

""I think this is a lifetime best for Ben. He was awesome, and I really couldn't be more excited for him as a fifth-year grad student. That guy came out today and is just a great example of what it looks like when you put it together in life, the classroom and running right now. So, I couldn't be more excited to watch Ben have a great day."

Leading the way for the women on Saturday was Purity Sanga, who clocked a mark of 17:11.3 to place 27^th out of the nearly 400 runners contesting the course. Emma Bryant turned in a personal-best time of 17:41.2 to place 56^th, while Ivine Chemutai crossed the line in 18:23.8 to finish 133rd. Freshman Mattie Kindelsperger and Megan John were the final two scorers for the women, coming in at 18:42.2 and 18:54.5 respectively.

"On the women's side, I thought Purity Sanga did a really nice job up front. By the time we get to late October, early November, we're excited about where Purity Sanga, Emma Bryant and Ivine Chemutai will be," added Cowper. "Our freshmen performed well, Mattie Kindelsperger did a great job in our four-spot and Megan John another freshman was in our five-spot, so they are really representing what we need from an intensity standpoint."

The Cardinals will wrap up the regular season on Oct. 16, when they travel to College Station, Texas for their first-ever appearance in Texas A&M's Arturo Barrios Invitational.

For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track and Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and Twitter account at @uofltrackxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/uofltrackxc.