Friday, November 14
Fayetteville, Ark.
Baylor
at
NCAA South Central Regional
Baylor XC Headed to NCAA South Central Regional
11/13/2025 11:55:00 AM | Cross Country
Sophomore Ruth Kimeli hoping to advance to NCAA Championship again
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Trying to advance to an NCAA Championship for the third time in her career and second time in cross country, sophomore Ruth Kimeli heads Baylor's entrants for the NCAA South Central Region Championship.
The women's 6,000-meter race kicks things off at 10:30 a.m. at the University of Arkansas's Agri Park, followed by the men's 10K at 11:30 a.m.
Last fall, Kimeli finished fourth in the South Central Regional with a career-best 6K time of 19:28.1, less than six seconds behind the runner-up spot. That earned her a trip to the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisc., and she followed that up with a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000 meters.
"I feel much better than last year. The training has been going on good and much better," said Kimeli, who had a top-10 finish earlier this year at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station. "The probability of going to nationals is higher for me, and that's the goal that I'm aiming for. I'll be like, 'I have to get there.'''
Despite a disappointing finish at the Big 12 Championships, Baylor coach David Barnett said Kimeli is "actually in better shape, based on workouts, than she was last year."
"She's in great shape, so if she can just get in the right pack at the right time, then she can definitely make it," Barnett said.
Joining Kimeli in the women's race are sophomores Ella Perry, Sally Corder and Rickeisha Simms and freshman Rachel Haws.
On the men's side, after a last-place finish at the conference meet, Barnett is only taking sophomore Jack Sterrett. The Midway High School product has led the team in each of the previous four meets, including a top-25 finish at the season-opening Gerald Richey Invitational.
"He just needs to get in a good spot," Barnett said of Sterrett, who was 85th at the Big 12 Championships. "I really think Jack's capable of running a good race. He's done workouts that are just as good as some of the guys who were all-region here two years ago. But it's hard to kind of piece it together, sometimes. But I'm excited for him, and he's definitely excited about it."
The Baylor women, who finished 11th at last year's region meet, are ranked 13th in the South Central Regional. Only the top two teams advance, with the top four finishers on a non-advancing team also earning spots for the NCAA Championship on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
Live stats for the women's and men's races are available HERE.
For the latest news on the Baylor cross country team all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
The women's 6,000-meter race kicks things off at 10:30 a.m. at the University of Arkansas's Agri Park, followed by the men's 10K at 11:30 a.m.
Last fall, Kimeli finished fourth in the South Central Regional with a career-best 6K time of 19:28.1, less than six seconds behind the runner-up spot. That earned her a trip to the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisc., and she followed that up with a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000 meters.
"I feel much better than last year. The training has been going on good and much better," said Kimeli, who had a top-10 finish earlier this year at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station. "The probability of going to nationals is higher for me, and that's the goal that I'm aiming for. I'll be like, 'I have to get there.'''
Despite a disappointing finish at the Big 12 Championships, Baylor coach David Barnett said Kimeli is "actually in better shape, based on workouts, than she was last year."
"She's in great shape, so if she can just get in the right pack at the right time, then she can definitely make it," Barnett said.
Joining Kimeli in the women's race are sophomores Ella Perry, Sally Corder and Rickeisha Simms and freshman Rachel Haws.
On the men's side, after a last-place finish at the conference meet, Barnett is only taking sophomore Jack Sterrett. The Midway High School product has led the team in each of the previous four meets, including a top-25 finish at the season-opening Gerald Richey Invitational.
"He just needs to get in a good spot," Barnett said of Sterrett, who was 85th at the Big 12 Championships. "I really think Jack's capable of running a good race. He's done workouts that are just as good as some of the guys who were all-region here two years ago. But it's hard to kind of piece it together, sometimes. But I'm excited for him, and he's definitely excited about it."
The Baylor women, who finished 11th at last year's region meet, are ranked 13th in the South Central Regional. Only the top two teams advance, with the top four finishers on a non-advancing team also earning spots for the NCAA Championship on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
Live stats for the women's and men's races are available HERE.
For the latest news on the Baylor cross country team all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
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