Koech’s 3rd-place run helps Chargers women claim title in opening meet

GALESBURG — Linda Koech finished third overall and helped the Sandburg women's cross country team to a first-place showing at the inaugural Joan Jepngetich Memorial Invite on Saturday at the Galesburg campus.

Koech, the reigning Arrowhead Conference and Region 4 champion, finished the 3-kilometer course in the women's race with a time of 13 minutes, 52.6 seconds. She finished behind a pair of runners from Sauk Valley, Kaylee Sweikar (13:10.3) and Kiana Brokaw (13:27.3).

Faith Rotich (14:43.8) and Sheila Cheruiyot (15:13.8)  were sixth and seventh, respectively, for Sandburg. The Chargers' other counting scores came from Marrion Kemboi (10th, 16:35.4) and Grace Maiyo (11th, 16:40.7).

Sandburg totaled 25 points in the team standings to beat out Illinois Valley, which scored 31.

In the men's 6K, freshman Finnegan Martin paced the Chargers with an 11th-place finish in 24:55.3. The trio of Mathias Kiprotich (27:09.7), Mathew Kotut (28:11.7) and Dylan Moore (28.34.8) were 15th-17th across the line.

Sandburg had 50 points in the team standings, finishing second to Spoon River, which scored a perfect 15.

Sauk Valley's Charles Link was the individual men's winner with a time of 20:44.6. Teammate Tyson Skinner was second in 21:19.1.

Saturday's inaugural event was named in memory of Joan Jepngetich, a sophomore on last year's Chargers women's cross country team who died in a car accident last December.

UP NEXT
5:30 p.m. Friday at Prairie Stars Invite in Springfield

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