Cheruiyot’s accolades evolved from a season of success, after consecutively finishing first in his last three meets. He became the first Florida men’s runner to claim SEC Men’s Runner of the Year since the award’s inception in 1992 and only the second male athlete in SEC history to earn both Runner of the Year and Freshman Runner of the Year in the same season. His freshman honor marks the first for a Gator since Jimmy Clark in 2011 and makes him just the third Florida men’s runner to receive the league’s top freshman award.

Chepkoech earned SEC Women’s Newcomer of the Year honors after arriving from the Big 12. She recorded three top ten finishes during her debut SEC campaign, twice led Florida as its top runner, and placed second at the SEC Cross Country Championships. Her award marks Florida’s second consecutive SEC Women’s Newcomer honor since its establishment in 2024, following Beth Morley’s recognition last year. 

Palmer was announced as the 2025 SEC Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the Orange and Blue to their second conference championship in three years. Under his guidance, Florida’s women’s team held a national ranking of No. 3 from USTFCCCA’s Week 2 poll onward, finishing atop both the SEC and the South Region. This marks Palmer’s second SEC Women’s Coach of the Year honor, with his first coming in 2023. He becomes the fifth UF coach to earn the award and accounts for the eighth overall time a Florida coach has received the recognition.

2025 SEC Cross Country Awards presented by Allstate

Men’s Runner of the Year: Kelvin Cheruiyot, Florida

Men’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Kelvin Cheruiyot, Florida

Men’s Newcomer Runner of the Year: Kidus Misgina, Ole Miss

Men’s Coach of the Year: Dan Waters, Alabama

Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Cooper Cawthra, Texas A&M

Women’s Runner of the Year: Doris Lemngole, Alabama

Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Caren Kiplagat, Alabama

Women’s Newcomer Runner of the Year: Judy Chepkoech, Florida

Women’s Coach of the Year: Will Palmer, Florida

Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sydney Vaught, Arkansas

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