Joplin, Mo. — Already the MIAA Champion and the MIAA Coach of the Year, Missouri Southern sophomore Gidieon Kimutai and coach Jamie Burnham have been named the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Regional Male Athlete and Men’s Coach of the Year by the organization.
Both individuals repeat that honor from a year ago. The Lions also repeated as the MIAA and Regional Champions this year as Southern has won all but one of the events it has entered, with the lone other meet being a second-place finish at the highly competitive Lewis University Crossover. The Lions are ranked 6th nationally going into the NCAA Division II Championships this Saturday in Sacramento, Calif.
Kimutai has won every event he has entered this season, including repeating as the MIAA and Regional Invididual Champion. Kimutai traversed the 10k course at the Regional Championship in a time of 29:14.5, besting his time from last year by more than 30 seconds and defeating his nearest competition by 24 seconds.
Burnham, in his fourth year as head coach, led the Lions to the team title at the Central Region Championships with 52 points. Missouri Southern also won team titles at the MIAA Championships, Missouri Southern Stampede, and Southwest Baptist Invitational.
The Lions will be back in action this weekend as Southern competes at the 2019 Division II National Championships in Sacramento, Calif.