NEW ORLEANS — Missouri Southern cross country runner
Ruth Chemutai was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II Women's National Athlete of the Week, the organization announced Monday.
Chemutai posted a personal-best time of 17:04.41 to capture the individual title in the women's 5K Saturday at the 37th Annual Missouri Southern Stampede. This individual championship marked the first of her collegiate career. Chemutai stopped the clock more than 12 seconds ahead of the second place finisher.
Chemutai, a freshman, led the No. 27-ranked Lions to a first-place team finish with 43 total points in the women's 5K of the Missouri Southern Stampede.
This is the first time in program history that a female athlete from Missouri Southern has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
Missouri Southern cross country will next compete Oct. 11 at the Pre-Nationals Tune-Up at Rim Rock in Lawrence, Kansas.
M-F Athletic USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Week (Sept. 21, 2026)
- NCAA Division I Men – Kelvin Cheruiyot, Florida
- NCAA Division I Women – Brighter Jepchumba, Eastern Kentucky
- NCAA Division II Men – Meshack Keter, West Texas A&M
- NCAA Division II Women – Ruth Chemutai, Missouri Southern
- NCAA Division III Men – Jacob Slater, Case Western Reserve
- NCAA Division III Women – Katja Dunayevich, UChicago
- NAIA Men – Mohamed (Mo) Guled, Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
- NAIA Women – Kylee Quinton, College of Idaho
- NJCAA Division I Men – Justus Soget Kiplagat, Odessa (Texas)
- NJCAA Division I Women – Nhamoinesu Tadii Mabvuka, El Paso (Texas) CC
- NJCAA Division II Men – Kallen McCracken, Pima (Ariz.) CC
- NJCAA Division II Women – Brookelyn Morgan, Wallace State-Hanceville (Ala.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Men – Leo Christopher, Hudson Valley (N.Y.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Women – Mikayla Numkena, FIT (N.Y.)
