Denis Kipngetich of Oklahoma State won his first career Big 12 men's cross country title on Saturday, October 31, at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Colorado men's team and BYU women's team secured the men's and women's conference titles, respectively, during the championships.
Men's Race Results
In the men's race, Kipngetich secured the individual championship with a time of 23:05.7, setting the third fastest 8K mark in the history of the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course. He defeated Colorado's Dominic Serem, who finished as the runner-up with a time of 23:06.9. Brian Musau of Oklahoma State completed the men's podium with a time of 23:08.0.
The Colorado men's team won the conference title with 36 points, finishing two points ahead of second-place Oklahoma State, which earned 38 points. This marked the Buffaloes' first Big 12 men's team title since 2007 and their 34th conference title overall. The two-point margin between first and second place was the closest men's team gap at a Big 12 conference meet since 2020.
Women's Race Results
The BYU women's team secured its fourth consecutive women's team title, making the Cougars the second women's program in conference history to win at least four straight championships. The team finished with 56 points, followed by West Virginia with 63 points and Oklahoma State in third with 116 points.
Jane Hedengren of BYU won the individual women's championship with a time of 19:28.0, marking her second consecutive individual title. Billah Jepkirui of Oklahoma State finished second with a time of 19:38.0, while Iowa State's Betty Kipkore rounded out the podium in third with 19:39.9.
Utah Team Performance
The 16th-ranked Utah women's cross country team finished fifth overall at the championships with 132 points. The Utes' performance was led by Erin Vringer, who finished 14th overall with a time of 20:00.5 and earned All-Big 12 honors. Annastasia Peters was the second finisher for Utah, placing 22nd with a time of 20:28.3.
Other scoring finishers for Utah included Millie Wilcox in 32nd place, Josie Fale in 34th, Tayla Gunton in 37th, and Bri Rinn in 39th. The women's race saw Colorado finish in fourth place with 117 points, just one point behind third-place Oklahoma State.
Upcoming Regional Competition
The top two team finishers from the men's and women's races will advance to the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday, Nov. 13, in Ames, Iowa. The top two finishers at the regional will earn berths to the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21, in Terra Haute, Indiana.
Individual Honors
All five Oklahoma State men earned All-Big 12 honors, including Brian Musau, Adisu Guadie, Jacob Deacon, and Laban Kipkemboi. In the women's race, the seventh-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls defeated top-25 programs Colorado, Utah, and Iowa State.
