Geoffrey Kirwa, Rylee Penn Recognized as All-Region at NCAA Southeast Regional Championships

Friday, November 15

Rock Hill, SC

University of Louisville

NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships

Rylee Penn races to the line at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Geoffrey Kirwa, Rylee Penn Recognized as All-Region at NCAA Southeast Regional Championships

November 15, 2024 | Cross Country

Results

Kirwa finished 7th overall in the men’s 10K, while Penn placed 25th in the women’s 6K to garner All-Region distinction.

By: Sam Gercak

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The University of Louisville cross country teams saw a pair of athletes earn All-Region honors as they continued their postseason at the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships on Friday morning.

In his collegiate 10K debut, freshman Geoffrey Kirwa placed seventh individually with a final time of 29:59.2, leading the Louisville men through the line and putting himself in position to potentially secure an at-large bid to next weekend's 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

The final NCAA Championships field will be announced tomorrow during the DI Men's and Women's Cross Country Selection Show, which will air at 5:00 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

Kirwa's finish was the highest for a Louisville athlete at the regional meet since Edwin Kibichiy placed third in 2016 and also made Kirwa the first Louisville male to earn All-Region accolades since Ian Kibiwot did so in 2022.

Rylee Penn also garnered All-Region distinction on the women's side, placing 25^th individually with a 6K time of 21:19.0. The graduate student became the first Louisville female to be named All-Region since Ivine Chemutai in 2019.

With Penn leading the charge, the women's squad posted their best finish in the team standings at the regional meet since 2017, placing seventh as a unit with a total of 187 points.

Nancy Chepleting followed close behind Penn to complete her first collegiate cross country season with a final time of 21:21.3 to place 28^th. Layla Roebke was third through the line for Louisville, finishing 38^th in 21:32.5.

Haley Meade placed 41^st in 21:37.3 to leap into the scoring five for the Cardinals for the first time in her career, while Lexie Paszkiewicz rounded out the Louisville five for the second consecutive meet with a time of 21:58.8 for a 59^th-place finish.

On the men's side, Kirwa paced the men to a 15^th-place finish in the team standings, improving four spots off their 19^th-place finish from a year ago.

Gustav Bendsen fought to a 10K time of 31:55.2 to place 76^th, while Ethan Meyer closed his collegiate cross country career out with a time of 32:23.0, good for 101^st place.

Spenser Wolf finished just behind Meyer in 105^th with a time of 32:26.7, and Jack Stansell was the fifth Card through the line after racing to a time of 33:01.8 for 138^th place.

NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships
November 15, 2024
Rock Hill, S.C. | Winthrop Farm

* = Scoring Five
DNF = Did Not Finish

Women's 6K
* Rylee Penn – 21:19.0
* Nancy Chepleting – 21:21.3
* Layla Roebke – 21:32.5
* Haley Meade – 21:37.3
* Lexie Paszkiewicz – 21:58.8
Maddie Seaby – 22:04.1
Lucinda Rourke – 22:19.1

Men's 10K
* Geoffrey Kirwa – 29:59.2
* Gustav Bendsen – 31:55.3
* Ethan Meyer – 32:23.0
* Spenser Wolf – 32:26.7
* Jack Stansell – 33:01.7
Josiah Hortin – 33:14.0
Innocent Ntwali – DNF

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