IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s 2024 Runner of the Year awards for cross country, as voted on by the conference’s cross country head coaches.
American Men’s Runner of the Year
Bernard Cheruiyot, Fr. – Tulane
Cheruiyot becomes the second Green Wave to earn Runner of the Year honors, joining Emmanuel Rotich who won it twice (2017, 2018). Cheruiyot blazed to a first-place finish at the 2024 American Cross Country Championship with a time of 23:43.5. He followed that up with an All-Region selection, running the 10k race with a time of 29:23.3. At the NCAA National Championships, he led Tulane to a 28th place team finish, while finishing 85th overall with a time of 29:49.1
American Women’s Runner of the Year
Caroline Jeptanui, So. – Tulane
Jeptanui becomes the second Green Wave to win Runner of the Year honors and is the second consecutive Tulane athlete to be honored. She won the 2024 American Cross Country Championship individual title with a time of 20:14.5 before finishing second at the NCAA South Central Regional with a time of 19:22.9. At the NCAA National Championship, she earned a 6th place finish, earning All-American status with a time of 19:47.6.
