Cross Country
National champion sprinter Gus Schmader brings two decades of experience to Westcliff XC
Westcliff Cross Country is back on the path
I have clinical depression. I describe it as having a perspective that is skewed toward the negative, in how I see myself, in how I think others see me, and in how I perceive normal, day to day events. It’s nothing to be afraid of. I manage my mental health ably through medication and therapy, but even those things don’t always stop me from blinding myself to life’s silver linings. Good days aren’t easy to come by, especially recently, as our country nears the midterms and our cultural discussion — and behavior — has turned dark.
It wasn’t a full squad performance Friday morning at the Vanguard Cross Country Invitational, but a couple of Warrior distance runners were on course and preparing for the season ahead. Both Kelvin Kiptoo and Emmanuel Cheruiyot ran the hilly course, and both turned in decent times, 28:28 and 32:08, respectively.
Westcliff Cross Country had an impressive season a year ago, headlined by Kelvin Kiptoo, who collected All Cal Pac honors after finishing fifth at the Cal Pac Championships, then went on to compete at the NAIA nationals, the first Warrior in history to accomplish either feat. For his remarkable season, Kiptoo went on to become the 2021-22 Warrior of the Year — all that, and he was just a freshman. This year, Kiptoo is Westcliff’s unquestioned leader and will run with its highest expectations.
It was moment of firsts, last Friday in Vancouver, WA, when Westcliff freshman cross country runner Kelvin Kiptoo stepped to the starting line at the NAIA national championships. It was Kiptoo’s first national race in his first year as a Warrior. It was head coach Justin Johnson’s first national race in his first year as the leader of Westcliff cross country. It was Westcliff University’s first chance to send its first athlete to a national championship competition.
The Westcliff cross country team showed up and showed out Saturday at UC Merced for the Ryan Nunez Bobcat Invitational, turning in a number of impressive performances, none bigger than team captain Kelvin Kiptoo’s fourth overall finish in the men’s race. Kiptoo finished the four-mile track in 21 minutes, 7.81 seconds.
