NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 18, 2023 — For the third week in a row Norfolk State University swept the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Runners of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference office announced October 18. Juniors Gidion Sigei and Mercyline Kimaiyo were named the Men’s and Women’s recipients respectively. 
 
Sigei claimed his second runner of the week honors after setting a new personal best time in the men’s 8K race at the ECU Pirate Cross Country Invitational. Sigei completed the course in 23 minutes, 42.2 seconds, eight seconds faster than his previous personal record. He led all collegiate runners in the pack. Teammate Raphael Kitur was close on his heels finishing in 23:44.9 minutes. 

Kimaiyo picks up her third consecutive runner of the week honor of the 2023 season. She paced the Spartans in the women’s 6K run at the ECU Pirates XC Invitational, running a time of 22:28.2. While she was the 13th runner to cross the line, Kimaiyo was the eighth scored runner as the field consisted of unattached and professional runners. 
 
Other Top Performers 
Alisha lagat (Delaware State) ran a 24:51.1 to finish 21st of 71 runners in the Delaware Invitational women’s 6K. 

Mariam Drazan (Delaware State) finished in the top ten at the Delaware Invitational. Drazan took 4th place in the men's 8K with a time of 26:15.1. 

Perry Bennett (Morgan State) led the way with a 4th-place finish among 263 runners at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational. He finished with a new PR of 24:47.0. As a team, the Bears scored 362 points for 14th out of 25 total schools.