CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Nov. 18, 2023) – South Carolina Cross Country runner Judy Kosgei made her impact felt as the program’s first ever individual runner at the national championship meet on Saturday at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Va.
The Kenya product put a bow on her freshman season after finishing 19th overall at her first national meet, becoming the first ever Gamecock Cross Country runner to earn All-America honors. Kosgei crossed the line at 19:41.5, besting the program’s 6K mark for the third time this season. The previous record was also held by Kosgei when she ran 19:48.9 at the Southeast Regional meet to earn her way into the 2023 Cross Country National Championship.
“It’s hard to put into words how proud I am of Judy on her performance today,” stated South Carolina Distance Coach Brock Moreaux. “Since day one, she has trusted the plan and worked hard for it every day. So to see it all come together today made it so special. She deserves every bit of it!”
Kosgei turned in not just the most memorable freshman season but one of the most memorable seasons overall in program history, earning three SEC weekly honors, setting both 5K and 6K program records as well as landing spots on both the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman team. In addition to her handful of honors, Kosgei had the best finish at the Southeast Regional in program history, turning in a fourth-place finish to earn All-Region honors.