Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) has selected a strong team of 24 to represent them at the National Cross Country Championships scheduled for February 13 in Nairobi.
The event, staged by Athletics Kenya Universities at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) on Saturday, was initially set for Kabarak University but was moved due to unavoidable circumstances.
AK Universities secretary, Edward Muema, said the championship which was attended by 200 athletes from 15 universities was highly competitive.
He said they also used the championship to select a team for the Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) cross country championships to be held in November 2021 in Conakry, Guinea.
Favourite Benson Moshon of Kibabii University retained the senior men’s title in 31:31.10. Emmanuel Ng’eno of Kenyatta University was a distant second in 33:04.10 while Chuka University’s Robert Karanja came home third in 33:17.05.
Moshon, a mass communication student, was part of the Kenyan team for the World Universities Cross Country Championships last year but the event was shelved due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He is hoping to perform better at the national trials in the next two weeks and make it to the Kenyan team.
Festus Kipkurui of Maseno (33:55.09) was fourth and Technical University of Kenya’s Derrick Chege (34:00.16) placed fifth. The sixth position went to Kisii University’s Kelvin Chepsigor (34:24.18).
Kenyatta University’s Diana Wanza easily won the women’s 10kms race. She posted 39:54.06 and was trailed in second place by Florence Katila of Chuka University in 42:07.10. Diana Chelagat of Bomet completed the podium in 47:03.14.
Caroline Wangechi of Meru University (48:07.16), Salome Cherono of Chuka University (48:25.18) and Yvonne Moraa of Chuka ( 49:15.20 followed in that order.
