Women Place Second, Men Sixth at Southern Showcase

Friday, September 13

Huntsville, AL

University of Louisville

Southern Showcase

September 13, 2024 | Cross Country

Results

Layla Roebke and Nancy Chepleting posted top-five finishes in the women’s 5K, and Ian Kibiwot finished as the runner-up in the men’s 8K.

By: Sam Gercak

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Louisville cross country teams began the 2024 campaign at the Southern Showcase on Friday morning, headlined by a trio of top-five individual finishes.

The Louisville women finished second as a team with a total of 68 points for their best finish at an invitational event since 2020, while seeing 11 women dip under the 18-minute barrier over 5K.

Layla Roebke led the way for the Cards, finishing fourth with a 5K time of 16:40.00 to earn the highest individual finish for a Louisville woman at an invitational since Purity Sanga won the Blazer Classic in 2020.

Nancy Chepleting followed close behind Roebke to finish fifth in her collegiate debut with a time of 16:50.46.

Maddie Seaby began her sophomore season with a bang, finishing 18^th overall in 17:13.31 to lop nearly 50 seconds off of her season-opening 5K time from a year ago.

Rylee Penn took 22^nd in 17:15.70 and Julia Schmitt rounded out the Louisville scorers in her first meet as a collegian, racing to a time of 17:17.94 to finish 24^th.

The men's squad placed sixth with a total of 164 points, paced by Ian Kibiwot's runner-up finish in his return to the grass after missing the 2023 cross country season due to injury.

His 8K time of 23:33.05 was good for the highest individual finish for a Louisville male since Kibiwot claimed back-to-back second-place finishes at the Covered Bridge Open and John McNichols Invitational to open the 2022 season.

Newcomer Geoffrey Kirwa crossed the line in 16^th with a time of 24:23.56 as the second man for Louisville in his first taste of NCAA competition.

The final three scorers crossed the line in quick succession as Lucas Reguinho placed 48^th in 24:55.59, Ethan Meyer finished 52^nd in 24:58.80, and Innocent Ntwali clocked a time of 24:59.44 to finish 55^th.

The Cardinals will return to the course in two weeks when they split between the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 4 and the Live in Lou Classic at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 5.

Southern Showcase
September 13, 2024
Huntsville, Ala. | John Hunt Park

* = Scoring Five
DNF = Did Not Finish

Men's 8K
* Ian Kibiwot – 23:33.05
* Geoffrey Kirwa – 24:23.56
* Lucas Reguinho – 24:55.60
* Ethan Meyer – 24:58.80
* Innocent Ntwali – 24:59.44
Gustav Bendsen – 25:02.96
Jack Stansell – 25:15.05
Josiah Hortin – 25:27.62
Gavin Rockwell – 25:41.16
Chip Smith – 26:08.73
Ryan Farrell – 26:16.42
Mateo Mendez – 26:23.65
Spenser Wolf – DNF

Women's 5K
* Layla Roebke – 16:40.00
* Nancy Chepleting – 16:50.46
* Maddie Seaby – 17:13.31
* Rylee Penn – 17:15.70
* Julia Schmitt – 17:17.94
Lucinda Rourke – 17:19.87
Heidi Meade – 17:33.65
Haley Meade – 17:33.71
Lexie Paszkiewicz – 17:44.88
Lexi Raquet – 17:54.13
Olivia Alessandrini – 17:57.31
Brooke Lahee – 18:12.08
Ellie Maurer – 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.