First off, well-done mr Kithuka.
I thought Lawi Lalang was the fastest NCAA runner and destined to be a 4 time NCAA champ and a sub 13:00 runner.
Kennedy Kithuka made him look like chump change.
What is Kithuka's story? All I know he ran for NAIA last year and just destroyed Lalang.
I dunno but I'm really looking forward to seeing what he odes on the track next year.
He's a transfer:
WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Trained under head coach Brian Whitlock...two-time NAIA Cross Country Individual Champion...won the 2012 NAIA National Championship in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:35.85 nearly a full minute ahead of the runner-up...won the 2012 NAIA National Championship in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:04.72...personal-best time in the 8,000-meter run of 23:08...personal-best time in the mile of 4:07...personal-best time of 7:58 in the 3,000-meter run...personal-best time of 13:28 in the 5,000-meter run...personal-best time of 28:18 in the 10,000-meter run...personal-best time of 3:46 in the 1,500-meter run.
ST PAUL'S HIGH SCHOOL
Trained under head coach Charles Noechu where he earned the divisional championship in 2007 and was the district runner-up...personal-best times of 9:00 in the 3,000-meter run, 4:20 in the 1,500-meter run, 15:10 in the 5,000-meter and 30:20 in the 10,000-meter.
Odes to kithuka:
We sing your song, you skinny little speedster,
With trumpets blaring and ugali on everyone's table.
Are those high school PRs all splits from the same 10k race? Look at them, they easily could be.
hahahaha yeah, that's really funny.
Also he was the 2009 Africa Junior bronze medalist in the 5000. As a side note, I once beat him in a 800.
Those HS times definitely look made up. I'm sure he was much faster but wrote those down, especially if he won the 2009 Africa Junior bronze. In that race, he ran 13:43, but it looks like it was a sit-and-kick because the winner to 4th were only 1.7 seconds apart.
He will be around for a while because Jon Murray has always done well with top runners.
Kithuka was placed at Wayland by Tech this then becomes a 4 yr to 4 yr NCAA transfer deal....sending Kithuka to Wayland as a non qualifier protects their investment versus him going to a Junior College which would have opened the recruiting doors to others....Tech has done this with Wayland before...
Why aren't others doing this?
TechFan wrote:
Kithuka was placed at Wayland by Tech this then becomes a 4 yr to 4 yr NCAA transfer deal....sending Kithuka to Wayland as a non qualifier protects their investment versus him going to a Junior College which would have opened the recruiting doors to others....Tech has done this with Wayland before...
Why aren't others doing this?
Can you explain this a little more? I've never heard of this being done.
Basically with Kithuka at Wayland as a non qualifier and at a 4 yr school he can't be contacted by other schools. Had he gone NJCAA as a non qualifier he then would eventually become recruitable to other 4 yr schools besides Tech.
Tech contacts Wayland to place an NCAA non qualifier (Kithuka) at Wayland. Wayland gets an eventual NAIA champ on loan for 2 years then he transfers to Tech since Tech has "ownership rights to the deal" they had set up... you scratch my back I scratch yours...quite simple actually...
blaznbison24 wrote:
He will be around for a while because Jon Murray has always done well with top runners.
Murray does do well with African runners. His track record with Americans/Texans is awful. Look at his women from this year. Pathetic. His teams that placed well at NCAAs a few years ago were 5 Africans and 2 horribly developed Texans. I am sick and tired of people claiming Murray is a great coach. He has good contacts and gets fantastic African recruits, but can't develop an athlete.
I would rather the HS coaches around Lubbock coach me than him if I wanted to improve.
The guy who knows better wrote:
blaznbison24 wrote:He will be around for a while because Jon Murray has always done well with top runners.
Murray does do well with African runners. His track record with Americans/Texans is awful. Look at his women from this year. Pathetic. His teams that placed well at NCAAs a few years ago were 5 Africans and 2 horribly developed Texans. I am sick and tired of people claiming Murray is a great coach. He has good contacts and gets fantastic African recruits, but can't develop an athlete.
I would rather the HS coaches around Lubbock coach me than him if I wanted to improve.
Coach Murray is a great guy but his development of American runs has been absolutely horrid. If Kennedy is anything like Sally, he will look really good in college but be a world level elite once he gets under some sound coaching.
Can't blame Murray for using his connections to get a ringer like this though. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
His improvement this year was impressive as he didn't do so hot in Indoors last year at the NAIA.
What exactly makes him a non-qualifier? Is it academics?
With the way he handled Lalang yesterday, he's already pretty damned close to being an Elite on the world stage. Hopefully they both stay healthy this spring and run the same event at nationals. Could be an all-time great 5k between them.
Yes. Not initially academically qualified to compete as an incoming Freshman at an NCAA Division 1 university, which Tech is. Wayland Baptist is a member of the NAIA. Different academic rules and standards regarding eligibility as it relates to athletics competition.
So what year is kithuaka?
Kennedy Kithuka AKA Kenziah has one track and one cross season left. Assuming he doesn't do any redshirting.
Year wrote:
So what year is kithuaka?
Kithuka is amazing. Hopefully his win gets the NAIA a little bit more respect on here.