Islanders Toughened at Roy Griak Invitational

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Running against very stiff competition, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's cross country program placed 11th out of 18 and the women 16th out of 17 on Friday at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course.
 
The men finished ahead of several notable schools including Cincinnati and Miami (Fla.). They were led by graduate Dennis Kipngeno and freshman Mathayo Kiptoo Bundotich.
 
Kipngeno turned in an 8000m time of 24:57.5 to end in 32nd on out 171, while Bundotich was one spot behind with a 24:59.4. Bundotich was the SLC Athlete of the Week on Sept. 12 after winning the Rice Invitational in his first-ever collegiate meet.
 
Also in the top-50 was junior Kelvin Kimaiyo with a 25:15.8. It was the first race of the year for both Kimaiyo and Kipngeno who have decorated careers at A&M-Corpus Christi. Kipngeno is the defending SLC Champion who has reached the NCAA Championships in back-to-back seasons, while Kimaiyo is the 2021 SLC Freshman of the Year winner.
 
The women were paced by a pair of newcomers. Sophomore Deandra Ibarra legged out a 6000m time of 23:51.2 to finish in 125th, and junior Chloe Garcia Grafing posted a 24:03.3 to end in 132nd. Senior Sharon Kiprop clocked in at 24:17.5 which was good for 138th.
 
"I learned a lot about both teams today. More than anything, we needed to have these experiences. I'm excited to get back to work and use this experience to grow into the team I know we are capable of become during the final third of the season," said head coach Bryan Jackson.
 
Roy Griak was a legendary Minnesota head coach who was at the helm of the Gophers men's cross country program from 1963-1996. He led Minnesota to three Big Ten Championships including two in cross country and one in track & field. He served Minnesota for 51 years before his passing on July 9, 2015.
 
Up next, the Islanders will compete at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M. The meet will count toward the South Texas Showdown against UTRGV, presented by Rally Credit Union. The 2023 SLC Championships are slated for Friday, Oct. 27 on the campus of UIW.
 
Men's Team Standings
1. CBU, 46
2. Gonzaga, 80
3. New Mexico, 110
4. Portland, 111
5. Boise State, 127
6. Santa Clara, 148
7. Wyoming, 172
8. Colorado State, 221
9. Minnesota, 250
10. South Dakota State, 278
11. A&M-Corpus Christi, 302
12. San Francisco, 322
13. Cincinnati, 338
14. North Dakota State, 361
15. St. Thomas (Minn.), 405
16. Miami (Fla.), 494
17. Loyola (Md.), 538
18. Kennesaw State, 561
 
Men's Individuals (8000m out of 171 competitors)
32. Dennis Kipngeno, 24:57.5
33. Mathayo Kiptoo Bundotich, 24:59.4
50. Kelvin Kimaiyo, 25:15.8
109. Enock Kimutai, 26:25.6
132. Rogerio Gomez, 27:00.6
146. Gregorio Alcorta, 27:35.7
147. Hunter Haas, 27:36.7
157. Logan Rickey, 28:18.7
 
Women's Team Standings
1. CBU, 63
2. Utah, 64
3. Colorado State, 96
4. Portland, 113
5. Boise State, 115
6. New Mexico, 124
7. Minnesota, 201
8. Wyoming, 258
9. South Dakota, 266
10. South Dakota State, 286
11. Kennesaw State, 288
12. North Dakota State, 303
13. Miami (Fla.), 360
14. Cincinnati, 287
15. St. Thomas (Minn.), 428
16. A&M-Corpus Christi, 524
17. Loyola (Md.), 551
 
Women's Individuals (6000m out of 202)
125. Deandra Ibarra, 23:52.1
132. Chloe Garcia Grafing, 24:03.3
138. Sharon Kiprop, 24:17.5
142. Kate Brockman, 24:21.3
147. Riley Cowan, 24:25.1
175. Faith Ramos, 25:23.0
 
Stay Social
For more information on Islanders Cross Country/Track & Field, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersTFXC), Instagram (@IslandersTFXC) and like their Facebook page (Islanders Track & Field/Cross Country).
 
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