KSU’s Mens Cross Country team takes off. Allatoona Creek Park, August 29th, 2025 Photo Credit: KSU Athletics
The Stan Sims Invitational saw Kennesaw State cross country excel on both sides, with the men’s team taking the top three slots and the women’s team placing on the podium.
Junior Collins KipKemboi led the Owls on the men’s side with a first-place finish in 18 minutes and 29 seconds. Edwin Kiprono, who finished in second place with a time of 18 minutes and 49 seconds, was not far behind, and Brian Limo finished third with a time of 19 minutes and 13 seconds. The tone of the meet was set early on by KSU’s strong advantage from the dominant pack running up front.
Coach Adam Bray said he wasn’t surprised by the sweep.
“I felt pretty good about that,” Bray said. “Honestly, it was a little bit expected just based on what those guys had done in the past and how their training had been throughout the summer. Those guys are really talented, so to say I was surprised, I probably wasn’t. It was more about them doing what they’re capable of.”
The Owls provided depth with Andrew Stricklin, who finished 16th with a time of 20 minutes and 29 seconds, and Matthew Hall, who finished 19th in 20 minutes and 47 seconds, while Georgia Tech runners took up the next few slots.
Bray highlighted how teamwork up front made a difference.
“We’ve seen that in the past year with these guys,” he said. “They do that all the time in training, and it doesn’t surprise me. They do a great job of working together Monday through Friday at practice, and when we compete, it just makes sense. They’ve known each other for a long time, they live together, and they train really well together, so it’s expected that they’d be out there getting after it as a group.”
Madison Seiler, the Owls’ top women’s finisher of the day, finished third overall with a time of 17 minutes and 25 seconds. Emma Ferguson, who crossed the finish in sixth in 17 minutes and 54 seconds, was right behind her. Samantha McGarity finished in eighth place in 17 minutes and 58 seconds, just behind, giving KSU three runners in the top 10.
Riley Perlakowski, who finished 14th in 18 minutes and 24 seconds, and Akshana, who finished ninth in 18 minutes and five seconds, added to the Owls’ depth. With five runners in the top 15 and three in the top 10, KSU’s women’s team got off to a great start and established themselves as a team to keep an eye on going ahead.
Bray noted how impressive the women were given the circumstances.
“Our women’s side was dealing with some illness last week, and you don’t know that if you’re not within the group,” he said. “Maddie didn’t run a couple days leading up to the meet because she was that sick. So for her to go out there and still finish on the podium just shows how tough and talented she is. Now, when she’s healthy, I’d expect her to win a meet like that. It’s a testament to how tough our women are mentally and physically.”
Bray said the opener showed a strong foundation to build from.
“It’s the first meet of the year, so you don’t really know completely how it’s going to go,” he said. “It was really positive to see everybody get their feet wet, get that race feeling, and then look to build upon it going forward.”
As the men’s and women’s teams seek to put their early success into consistency for the next season, the Owls will now focus on improving on this performance in the next meets.
Bray emphasized the long-term goal stays in focus.
“We have a long way to go,” he said. “Our athletes run cross country in the fall, but then indoor and outdoor track too, so the big picture is about being at our best in June. For cross country, Nov. 1 at the Conference USA meet is the target date. Our goal is to challenge for team and individual titles, and the meets before then are steppingstones. Staying healthy, improving fitness and sharpening racing tactics are the biggest keys.”
