COLFAX, Wash. – In the second race of the year, the Cougar Classic, Rosemary Longisa and Evans Kurui both continue their winning ways for the Washington State cross country team. Kurui set a course for the second-straight year, beating last year’s record by 20 seconds. Second place finisher Solomon Kipchoge’s time would have also been a record time if not for Kurui.
“Both teams ran amazingly well,” head coach Wayne Phipps said Friday evening at Colfax Golf Club. “[Rosemary Longisa] ran the fastest time that we’ve ever had on the women’s side [at the Cougar Classic]. With Evans and Solomon, the fastest time ever on this course is 22:46, and Evans ran almost thirty seconds faster than that, and Solomon almost 15 seconds faster.”
Freshman Rosemary Longisa won the Cougar Classic with a meet record time of 19 minutes and 32.3 seconds. This time was a minute and five seconds faster than second place finisher, Caroline Jepkorir. Nicole Bissell rounded out the top 3 with a time of 20 minutes and 57.9 seconds. The top eight finishers were all Cougs.
Bissell and Longisa came out of the gate hot leading after the first kilometer. Nine of the top 10 racers through the first kilometer were Cougs. After three kilometers, Longisa and Jepkorir had a 20 second lead over the next runner, Bissell. Going into the final kilometer, Longisa and Jepkorir were head-to-head, not giving each other one inch of space to take the lead. In the end, Longisa won the race with a time of 19 minutes and 32.3 seconds. Longisa’s time would have been fourth best at the 2024 NCAA West Regionals, hosted at the same course.
Evans Kurui sets a course 8k record with a time of 22 minutes and 22.1 seconds, 20 seconds better than his record set at last year’s meet. His time was 10 seconds faster than Soloman Kipchoge, 22:32.4, which also would have set a course record. Josphat Meli rounded out the top 3 with a time of 23 minutes and 16.5 seconds.
In true Evans Kurui fashion, the sophomore began the race in the lead, leading by 10 seconds after the first kilometer. Transfer Soloman Kipchoge held his own in second, trailing Kurui by only 12 seconds after the third kilometer. Josphat Meli rounded out the…
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