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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
SEC Championships
Kirui Claims Third SEC Cross Country Title
11/1/2010 | Track and Field
Nov. 1, 2010
SEC Cross Country Championships Men's Results 
SEC Cross Country Championships Women's Results
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Ole Miss senior Barnabas Kirui won the third Southeastern Conference Cross Country championship of his career on Monday, helping the Rebel men to a fifth-place finish at Hilton Field on the Fort Jackson U.S. Army base.
Kirui is the fourth runner in league history to claim three SEC Cross Country titles and the only runner with more than one in school history. He raced to the 8K victory with a time of 23:52.07, beating Auburn's Ben Cheruiyot by almost 10 seconds.
"It really felt good to win today because it's my last SEC cross country race," Kirui said. "I'm glad the race went like we planned. It gives me confidence going into regionals and nationals. I'm proud to have won the SEC three times."
"Barnabas ran a super race," Ole Miss head coach Joe Walker said. "He and coach (Doug) Blackwell had a great race plan. On the third lap he broke the race open for a commanding victory against very good competition."
The Ole Miss men had their best showing at the SEC Championships since finishing fifth in 1996. Martin Kirui, Barnabas' brother, placed 14th with a time of 24:41.91, while Kipchirchir Kiptoo was 25th with a time of 25:03.66. Loren Newsom and Max Holman also scored for the Rebels.
Barnabas Kirui was named to the All-SEC first team, while Martin Kirui received second-team honors. Kiptoo who placed third among freshmen in Monday's race, was tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman team.
Logan Waites led the Rebel women to their best showing since 1990. Waites turned in the highest SEC Championships finish ever by an Ole Miss woman with her 16th-place effort (21:27.71) in the 6K, helping the team finish ninth. Katie Breathitt, in her first season after switching sports from the Rebel soccer team, was second for the Rebel women with a 29th-place showing (21:51.04). Kayleigh Skinner, Anne Threlkeld and Allison Kneip also scored for Ole Miss.
By far the most decorated long-distance runner in Ole Miss history, Kirui boasts a list of accomplishments highlighted by the three SEC cross country titles, an NCAA title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, four SEC track and field individual titles, two SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year awards and two SEC Cross Country Athlete of the Year awards. The Litein, Kenya native has also been honored by the league for his work in the community and in the classroom, and has earned a national academic award from the USTFCCCA.
"Barnabas comes from a tough background, but he had a tremendous desire to get an education," Blackwell said. "He has a great overall desire, and he's a winner in every sense of the word."
The Ole Miss men and women will compete next in the NCAA South Regional, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 13 in Birmingham, Ala. If either Ole Miss team or any individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships, they will run on Nov. 22 in Terre Haute, Ind.
Kirui finished fourth at last year's NCAA Cross Country Championships, the highest ever finish by a Rebel.
