Freshman Matro Jepkemboi reached the NCAA Championships after her record-setting performance in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Jepkemboi’s journey began in Eldoret, Kenya, where she ran cross country and track.
Freshman Matro Jepkemboi arrived at cross country practice Tuesday like she had all semester. She went through her routine, spoke with head coach John Sauerhage, and prepared for this weekend’s meet.
But this weekend’s meet is anything but ordinary. It’s the NCAA Championships in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Jepkemoi is only the fourth female athlete in program history to advance to this stage.
She reached the national championships after her record-setting performance last weekend in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Jepkemboi ran a 20:15.8 6k, which placed her third in the regional competition — the highest finish for any athlete at a regional meet in program history.
Sauerhage — who has coached the program to 33 conference championships since he became coach in 1996 — said it’s very impressive to face the 32 schools in the team’s region and come out at the top of the leaderboard. He said the program has had great athletes in the past, but Jepkemboi is always able to perform when it matters most.
“She’s a great kid,” Sauerhage said. “You will learn that by talking to her. Good teammate, works hard in school, very appreciative about the opportunity and we’re here to help her get faster.”
Jepkemboi said she was excited to qualify for the national meet in her first year at UTA and said she felt she had improved since her last time in Arkansas after competing at the same location in September, where she finished sixth.
“I feel good,” she said. “I’ve improved from the first meet ‘til now. I think I’m improving and I’m getting better daily.”
She said she appreciates Sauerhage’s coaching, and finishing so high meant a lot to her.
Jepkemboi’s journey began in Kenya, where she ran cross country and track. She is the third athlete on the current team to come from Eldoret, Kenya. Sauerhage said his contacts in Kenya mentioned her, and when he watched her run, he said it was obvious she could help as an endurance athlete for the team.
Sauerhage said he first saw her dominate a 3k race in Kenya and from there, he was hooked. Cross country is a very straightforward sport, so recruiting athletes is simpler when athletes don’t have to learn an offense or other schemes like other sports.
“She ran a 3k in like 9:30 and that’s all the information I need,” he said.
Once she came to UTA, Sauerhage said she immediately sprinted to the front of the meets she competed in and has been a great teammate. The team’s meets have given Jepkemboi a chance to scout the competition and know who she’s competing against at national meets.
During races, Jepkemboi said she reminds herself that running is her talent. She focuses on improving her time while doing what she loves.
As she prepares for the national meet, Sauerhage told her it would be cold and that she may need a jacket, so she received her letterman jacket early. He posted Jepkemboi in the jacket on social media with the caption: “New Rule….When you finish top 3 in NCAA XC SC Regional as a freshman (way to go Matroline) you receive your letter jacket the following Monday.”
Jepkemboi said she’s going to try her best at the national meet in Virginia where she will run into some competitions from Kenya, which will be tough. She’s going to give it her all and try, even if it gets hard for her.
“I’m going to fight,” she said.
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