Texas Tech’s Kipyego Redefined Success

Very few athletes crafted a collegiate legacy like Sally Kipyego.

From 2005 to 2009, Kipyego left others in a wake that consistently rewrote the record book and redefined what it meant to be a championship-caliber competitor. Between stints at South Plains College (NJCAA) and Texas Tech (NCAA Division I), Kipyego won 16 combined national titles in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field and clocked marks that still reside in the all-time collegiate top-10. In fact, after steamrolling through the NJCAA ranks for seven national titles in three semesters, she took less than three years to tie Suzy Favor’s high-water mark for NCAA DI crowns by an individual female athlete with nine.

But what Kipyego did over four days at the 2008 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, remains one of the most outstanding performances in meet history by any athlete in any year.

Kipyego entered the meet as the collegiate record holder at 10,000 Meters with a time of 31:24.45 that she set the previous month at the Payton Jordan Invitational and as the second fastest woman in collegiate history over 5000 Meters with her 15:11.88 at the Mt. SAC Relays.

However, Kipyego chose not to contest the 10K and instead focused on the 1500-5000 double, one that she easily handled at the NJCAA level (along with the 10,000 for a triple-double as a one-semester freshman and full-time sophomore). After easily making it through to the finals of both, Kipyego got to work.

On Friday, Kipyego won the 5000-meter crown in a still-standing meet record of 15:15.08. Not only that, but she also ran virtually unopposed, winning by 31 seconds for what remains the second largest margin of victory in meet history (Kim Smith of Providence won by 36.04 seconds in 2004; Lisa Koll would win by 30.13 seconds in 2010).

Then on Saturday, Kipyego doubled back and finished runner-up to Hannah England of Florida State in the fastest women’s 1500 race in collegiate history. England pulled ahead of Kipyego down the homestretch as they clocked the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time collegiate marks at 4:06.19 and 4:06.67, respectively.

Those 18 combined points for Kipyego were the most by a female athlete in meet history attempting that configuration of events to that point. Only Sheila Reid of Villanova has topped her with her historic 1500-5000 double three years later.

Also, in winning the 5000, Kipyego became the first athlete in NCAA DI history to complete the individual Triple Crown twice with national titles in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field during the same academic year. She also captured national titles in all three sports the previous year and was well on her way the following year after becoming the only woman in NCAA DI history to win three consecutive cross country titles and nabbing the indoor 5K crown.

Kipyego, who became a U.S. citizen in 2017, continues to have a standout athletic career, which includes an Olympic silver medal from the 2012 London Games in the 10K and a silver medal from the 2011 IAAF World Championships in the same event while competing for her native Kenya. She made the move up to the marathon and finished third in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this past February and will represent Team USA in Tokyo.