Cheruiyot finished first overall for the second consecutive race this season. The freshman crossed the line at 23:08.26, pulling ahead in the last 500m after consistently staying near the top five. Oussama Allaoui finished next for the Orange and Blue, rolling in at 44th with a 24:23.69. Jonathan Leon (49), Riley Novack (52) and Josh Ruiz (56) rounded out Florida’s scoring five, giving the Gator men an 11th place finish with 199 points.

Cheruiyot’s victory marks Florida’s first individual men’s SEC championship since 1983, when Keith Brantley claimed the title in the five-mile run. With the win, Cheruiyot becomes just the fourth man in program history to capture the individual crown. 

On the women’s side, the No. 3 Gators scored just 45 points to clinch first place in the 6k, as four of Florida’s five scorers placed within the top ten for the second time this season. Judy Chepkoech led the Orange and Blue, placing second overall to start the Gators off with just two points. Behind her followed Hilda Olemomoi (7), Tia Wilson (8) and Desma Chepkoech (10), the same squad who walked away with top ten finishes at the Gans Creek Classic earlier this season. Reagan Gilmore (18) concluded Florida’s scoring five, solidifying the Gators’ newest conference title. 

With Florida’s eighth women’s cross country SEC title, the program now ranks second among all women’s cross country teams in the league. The victory represents the 267th overall SEC championship for Gators Athletics, extending its lead as the top program in the conference by more than 100 titles. It continues Florida’s streak of winning at least one SEC title for 48 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak among all league programs.

NEXT UP

The Gators will continue their postseason stretch as they travel to Huntsville, Ala. on Nov. 14 for the NCAA Cross Country Regionals. 

RESULTS

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