Kosgei Earns League and National Recognition as Runner of the Week

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Sept. 19, 2023) – Freshman distance runner Judy Kosgei has earned the title of SEC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the second time this month, as announced by the league office on Tuesday morning. In addition, the NCAA dubbed Kosgei as the Women’s Cross Country National Runner of the Week, the first honor of its kind in Gamecock history.

Kosgei becomes the first repeat SEC Women’s Runner of the Week in program history and is the first Gamecock since Kayla Lampe to earn a pair of SEC weekly awards in the same season. Lampe was named Women’s Freshman of the Week twice in 2012.

Kosgei was at it again with another record-breaking performance on Friday morning at the Gamecock Challenge. Just two weeks removed from running the program’s first sub-17-minute 5K, the Kenya clocked the program’s first-ever sub-16-minute 5K after running 15:52.9 to best her own program record by one minute. Kosgei finished 55 seconds ahead of her fellow teammate Gabriella Gait-Smith who placed second overall.

Kosgei has now won each of her first two events and will look to complete the September sweep when the Gamecocks travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to compete in the Paul Short Run on Sept. 30.