UF XC/TF: Cheruiyot Tops Leaderboards to Cap Off Regular Season

Gator men earn 10th-place team finish as both Florida teams close the regular season with strong performances in Columbia.

COLUMBIA, Mo.. – The Florida Gators Cross Country team wrapped up its regular season at the Pre-National Invitational in Columbia, Mo. on Friday. The men capped off the day with a tenth place finish in the 8k race, as the women locked in at 13th overall in the 6k.

MEN

Freshman Kelvin Cheruiyot captured the individual title, crossing the finish line first with a standout time of 22:44.6, a performance that ranks fifth all-time on the course record list. After opening in 11th place through the first kilometer, Cheruiyot steadily climbed the ranks to second and traded the lead multiple times before decisively pulling away for the victory.

Oussama Allaoui followed with a strong comeback performance, finishing 40th overall with a time of 24:00.9 after recording a DNF in his previous appearance in Columbia.

Riley Novack (64), Jonathan Leon (89), and Riley Smith (107) completed Florida’s scoring five, while Josh Ruiz and Alejandro de Bastos crossed as the Gators’ sixth and seventh finishers. The men concluded the meet in 10th place with a total of 293 points.

WOMEN

Reagan Gilmore led the Gators with a time of 20:19.8, marking her return to competition since the UNF Invite. Despite dropping ten positions early in the race, the sophomore surged forward over the final four kilometers, gaining sixteen spots to finish 31st overall.

Beth Morley followed closely, advancing thirteen positions to claim 35th place with a time of 20:23.4. Caroline Wells (46), Claire Stegall (62), and Kate Drummond (250) rounded out Florida’s scoring lineup, combining for 378 points and a 13th-place team finish.

NEXT UP

The Gators will make their way to Knoxville, Tenn. for the SEC Championships on Oct. 31 to kick off the postseason.

RESULTS

Men – 10th (293 points)

Women – 13th (378 points)

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