By John Dell, JOURNAL REPORTER
It’s a shame that Irene Jeptolo’s cross-country season has come to an end because she has been on a serious roll for Winston-Salem State.
Jeptolo, a 23-year-old junior from Kenya, dominated just about every race she was in this fall, winning four times in six races. In the other two races she was good enough to finish in the top 10.
“I have been running well,” said Jeptolo, whose English has improved in her three years on campus. “I have had some good training thanks to my coaches and it’s given me a boost.”
Last week, in the Rams’ final meet of the fall, Jeptolo helped them to a third-place finish at the Erskine Invitational in Due West, S.C. She won the 5K with a time of 19 minutes, 12 seconds.
“It was nice to win again,” said Jeptolo, who transferred to WSSU three years ago from a community college in Arizona.
When the Rams were still competing in Division II, she was good enough at the regionals to qualify for the nationals in 2005. But since the Rams are in their transition to Division I they aren’t eligible for the postseason.
Coach Halcyon Blake, who is in her third season of coaching the cross-country and track teams, said that what is most amazing about Jeptolo is her mental toughness. Jeptolo is a nursing major who has been busy working at Baptist Hospital this semester.
“She is doing her clinical-rotation class at the hospital and makes rounds there all throughout the week and even some on the weekends,” Blake said. “And she still finds time to fit in her training.”
Jeptolo’s normal day begins at around 4:30 a.m. She gets to the hospital by 6 a.m. and is there until 2 p.m. before heading to practice.
“I want to either be a pediatric or geriatric nurse, I haven’t decided,” she said. “So this has been a busy semester but I don’t mind.”
Jeptolo is an honor-roll student who plans to graduate in December of 2008.
Perhaps Jeptolo’s best race came near Orlando, Fla., in a meet that had 386 runners. She ran the 5K in 18:16 and finished seventh.
“It was a sprint to the finish and she was right there, so it could have gone either way,” Blake said.
With the indoor-track season starting in late November, Jeptolo will turn her attention to the 3,000 and 1,500 meters. Blake said that Jeptolo might eventually be an outstanding steeplechase runner.
Jeptolo said that her success this fall has a lot to do with her training during the summer, a regimen that was set up by Blake.
“I was feeling that I was prepared for these races,” said Jeptolo who also won at the UNC Pembroke Invitational, the Old North State Championships in Greensboro and the Greensboro Invitational.
“Winning makes me very happy and I’m looking forward to the indoor season,” Jeptolo said.
“I’m having a lot of fun.”
PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's and women's cross country teams kick off their 2010 campaign 10:30 a.m. this Saturday at the UMES Cross Country Course/Golf Driving Range with the Lid-Lifter Invitational.
