When Elkana Kipruto decided he wanted to transfer to Wichita State from Stephen F. Austin in Texas after his freshman year, his reasoning was simple.
“I like Wichita State because in Texas, it was too hot,” Kipruto said. “But here (in Wichita), temperatures are moderate. It’s not too hot like Texas.”
Despite the “moderate” climate in Wichita, Kipruto is on a hot streak in his first year as a Shocker.
“He ran very well at Stephen F. Austin. Can’t take away from that,” head cross country coach Kirk Hunter said. “The level that he competed there was very high. I think he has done very well here.”
In his debut in a WSU uniform at the JK Gold Classic in September, Kipruto ran away with the race and won by five seconds. A few weeks ago at the Pre-National Invitational, he finished in second with a time of 22 minutes, 29.5 seconds, setting the program record in the 8-kilometer.
“The race was good,” Kipruto said about his performance at the Pre-National Invitational. “I think because it was a big race, that’s why I did that. They pushed me, the strong guys from the big schools.”
Kipruto also raced at the American Conference Championships on Nov. 1, where he placed first with a time of 23 minutes, 16.6 seconds. He became the first Shocker to win a cross country individual title in a conference championship since 1992.
“It felt good, I didn’t expect this,” Kipruto said during an interview with ESPN+ after the race. “I said to myself, ‘I’m ready, I’m very very ready,’ because I didn’t know that I’m coming to win, but I was very ready for the race.”
“I’m really proud of him,” Hunter added during the interview. “He’s my first individual champion on the men’s side and for the American Conference, and he ran a spectacular race.”
Despite all the success, Kipruto has remained humble. After he was awarded the trophy at the Pre-National Invitational, he gave it to Hunter.
“When you’re that level in the NCAA, you can start being a little cocky,” senior Adrian Diaz Lopez said. “He’s the opposite. He’s just super humble — such a great guy.”
Hunter said that that side of Kipruto can get overlooked.
“Everybody talks about his athleticism and how strong he is as an athlete, because that’s what everyone sees,” Hunter said. “But they don’t see that he’s a good person too, and I really like this young man. He’s a huge addition to our team in every aspect of the word.”
The arrival of Kipruto has also changed the way the team has worked out this year.
“It’s just that (we) had to up the game a little bit in terms of the type of workouts that we were doing, in terms of how fast we’re doing them,” Hunter said. “We had to split up the team a little bit more because he’s just such a higher talent.”
“I can see (Hunter) is a good coach,” Kipruto added. “This program, I like it. It’s a profession. That’s why I am running well.”
Lopez likened Kipruto’s approach to the adage that you practice how you play.
“The way they (Elkana) race is the way they train,” he said. “He’s helped the team as a team and then as a runner. He (has) made the team better in both aspects, like as a team environment and as a runner.”
Lopez added that he’s excited for what Kipruto is going to be able to accomplish as he weathers more seasons.
“He’s going to hopefully destroy all the records here, go all the way to nationals, and bring a bunch of trophies to the school,” Lopez said.
