PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s 2018 Runner of the Year awards, which were voted on by the conference’s cross country head coaches.
For a second-straight year, each of The American’s individual champions took home Runner of the Year honors, as Tulane senior Emmanuel Rotich was named the Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, while Wichita State sophomore Winny Koskei was voted the unanimous Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year. Each honoree also qualified for this year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Men’s Runner of the Year
Emmanuel Rotich, Sr., Tulane
Rotich receives his second-straight American Runner of the Year nod to conclude a tremendous cross country career. Rotich successfully defended The American’s individual crown, battling muddy conditions in New Orleans to win back-to-back conference titles with an 8K time of 27:06.09 . He joined Tulsa’s Marc Scott in becoming just the second conference athlete to win consecutive individual men’s titles. Rotich also placed fourth in the NCAA South Central Regional to earn his third-straight trip to the NCAA Championship and collect U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region accolades. Rotich highlighted his regular-season action winning the Texas A&M Invitational in his first race of the season.
Women’s Runner of the Year
Winny Koskei, So., Wichita State *
* Unanimous selection
Koskei was voted The American’s unanimous Women’s Runner of the Year on the heels of an outstanding sophomore campaign. Koskei improved 17 spots from last year’s conference championship race, winning the individual American crown, while leading the Shockers to their first league title. Koskei, who also won The American’s outdoor track and field 5,000 and 10,000-meter races, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship following a third-place performance at the Midwest Regional race. She moved up 21 spots over the final 4,000 meters in the national meet, clocking a time of 20:32.05 to finish 35th overall. In addition to earning All-Region accolades, Koskei received USTFCCCA All-America honors for her top-40 finish. In regular-season action, she had top-three performances in four of five races entered and finished 11th in the prestigious Pre-National race in Madison, Wis.