Louisville Men Win Three ACC Outdoor Yearly Awards
June 26, 2026 | Track & Field
Geoffrey Kirwa, KJ Byrd, and Elsingi Kipruto all earned ACC accolades for their performances during the 2026 outdoor campaign.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three University of Louisville men's track & field student-athletes were recognized by the Atlantic Coast Conference for their performances during the 2026 outdoor season, as announced by the conference on Thursday.
Sophomores Geoffrey Kirwa and KJ Byrd were named ACC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year, respectively, while Elsingi Kipruto earned ACC Men's Freshman of the Year honors.
This marks the first time in ACC history that a single program has swept the Men's Outdoor Track Athlete, Field Athlete, and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season.
Kirwa, Byrd, and Kipruto combined for four First Team All-American nods at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, leading the Louisville men to a seventh-place finish in the team standings that matched the best finish in program history, while also setting a program record with 32 points at the national championship meet.
Kirwa won the first NCAA title of his career and the sixth outdoor national title in program history at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Jun. 12, breaking the tape in the 3000m steeplechase in 8:17.46 to avenge his national runner-up finish from a season ago.
Earlier in the season at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 16, the sophomore improved on his own No. 2 time in collegiate history with a mark of 8:08.10 that broke his own ACC and program record and currently stands as the fifth-fastest steeplechase time in the world in 2026.
Along with his success in the steeplechase, Kirwa earned the bronze medal in the 5000m at the ACC Outdoor Championships, the first ACCs podium finish of his career. He also posted a program-record 5000m time of 13:21.49 from the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 3, which ranked just outside the top 10 in the NCAA this season.
With the honor, the native of Kapsabet, Kenya becomes the second athlete in Louisville history to be named ACC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. He joins Edwin Kibichiy, who won the award after winning the NCAA steeplechase title in 2017.
Byrd finished as the national runner-up in the decathlon, accruing a total of 8,160 points to establish a new ACC and Louisville program record while narrowly missing out on his first national title.
At NCAAs, Byrd set a championship meet record in the decathlon pole vault with a clearance of 5.41m (17-9) and notably equaled his personal best in the high jump with a height of 2.13m (6-11.75) that would have ranked him in the top five in the ACC this season.
The sophomore from Connelly Springs, N.C. won the ACC title in the open pole vault at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 14, setting a new Louisville program record of 5.53m (18-1.75) in the process. He also picked up a point for the Cardinals in the open long jump at the conference championship meet, finishing eighth with a mark of 7.40m (24-3.5).
After being named the Men's Field Athlete of the Year during the indoor season, Byrd becomes the first athlete in program history to be recognized as the ACC Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Kipruto accounted for a program-record 14 of Louisville's 32 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to close his historic freshman campaign, finishing as the national runner-up in the 10,000m and claiming third place in the 5000m.
Earlier in the season at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 16, Kipruto set a new ACC and Louisville program record in the 10,000m with a time of 27:29.83 that ranks as the 11th-fastest time in NCAA history.
The native of Mosoriot, Kenya, also captured the first conference title of his career at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 16, winning the 5000m in a time of 13:23.34 that moved him to second in the program record books.
Kipruto becomes the first athlete in conference history to sweep the three ACC Men's Freshman of the Year Awards (Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor) and also becomes the first athlete in program history to win the honor as the ACC's top rookie during the outdoor season.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
Sophomores Geoffrey Kirwa and KJ Byrd were named ACC Men's Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year, respectively, while Elsingi Kipruto earned ACC Men's Freshman of the Year honors.
This marks the first time in ACC history that a single program has swept the Men's Outdoor Track Athlete, Field Athlete, and Freshman of the Year awards in the same season.
Kirwa, Byrd, and Kipruto combined for four First Team All-American nods at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, leading the Louisville men to a seventh-place finish in the team standings that matched the best finish in program history, while also setting a program record with 32 points at the national championship meet.
Kirwa won the first NCAA title of his career and the sixth outdoor national title in program history at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Jun. 12, breaking the tape in the 3000m steeplechase in 8:17.46 to avenge his national runner-up finish from a season ago.
Earlier in the season at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 16, the sophomore improved on his own No. 2 time in collegiate history with a mark of 8:08.10 that broke his own ACC and program record and currently stands as the fifth-fastest steeplechase time in the world in 2026.
Along with his success in the steeplechase, Kirwa earned the bronze medal in the 5000m at the ACC Outdoor Championships, the first ACCs podium finish of his career. He also posted a program-record 5000m time of 13:21.49 from the Stanford Invitational on Apr. 3, which ranked just outside the top 10 in the NCAA this season.
With the honor, the native of Kapsabet, Kenya becomes the second athlete in Louisville history to be named ACC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. He joins Edwin Kibichiy, who won the award after winning the NCAA steeplechase title in 2017.
Byrd finished as the national runner-up in the decathlon, accruing a total of 8,160 points to establish a new ACC and Louisville program record while narrowly missing out on his first national title.
At NCAAs, Byrd set a championship meet record in the decathlon pole vault with a clearance of 5.41m (17-9) and notably equaled his personal best in the high jump with a height of 2.13m (6-11.75) that would have ranked him in the top five in the ACC this season.
The sophomore from Connelly Springs, N.C. won the ACC title in the open pole vault at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 14, setting a new Louisville program record of 5.53m (18-1.75) in the process. He also picked up a point for the Cardinals in the open long jump at the conference championship meet, finishing eighth with a mark of 7.40m (24-3.5).
After being named the Men's Field Athlete of the Year during the indoor season, Byrd becomes the first athlete in program history to be recognized as the ACC Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.
Kipruto accounted for a program-record 14 of Louisville's 32 points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to close his historic freshman campaign, finishing as the national runner-up in the 10,000m and claiming third place in the 5000m.
Earlier in the season at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Apr. 16, Kipruto set a new ACC and Louisville program record in the 10,000m with a time of 27:29.83 that ranks as the 11th-fastest time in NCAA history.
The native of Mosoriot, Kenya, also captured the first conference title of his career at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 16, winning the 5000m in a time of 13:23.34 that moved him to second in the program record books.
Kipruto becomes the first athlete in conference history to sweep the three ACC Men's Freshman of the Year Awards (Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor) and also becomes the first athlete in program history to win the honor as the ACC's top rookie during the outdoor season.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
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