Winning a second consecutive Big 12 Conference title isn’t the only thing the women’s cross country team has to be proud of.
Big 12 coaches around the conference agree: Tech coach Jon Murray tops the list when it comes to the best women’s cross country coach in the conference.
Murray was named Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year Tuesday.
“It’s very nice, but it goes back to the athletes. They’re the ones that made it possible,” said Murray, who in five years has led Tech to two Big 12 titles and two top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. “So I think it’s an honor for them as much as me.”
While it may be easy to give credit to the likes of Lillian Badaru and Gladys Kipsang, Murray is keeping an already solid program on top.
The Lady Raiders have dominated their season up to this point, winning every race they have run as a team. Their latest win was at the Big 12 Championships, clinching the conference title for the second consecutive year in a row — this after the departure of All-American Sally Kipyego.
Beginning the season ranked No. 30, Tech has proven to the rest of the nation last season’s Big 12 title was not a fluke.
Murray has said this year’s Lady Raiders are deeper, and points are coming from a number of runners instead of a handful of points coming from Kipyego like last season.
Badaru, who is one of five All-Big 12 runners for the Tech women this season, has been this season’s Kipyego with three first place finishes in five meets. Two of those are top five finishes.
Purity Biwott, twin sisters Caroline and Winrose Karunde and Kipsang joined Badaru on the All-Big 12 squad and have been the backbone for this year’s squad.
The bulk of this group will be around for next season as well, with the Karunde sisters and runners such as Michelle Guzman being juniors
“For me, as a person professionally to be able to build tradition, help to create an attitude and an atmosphere of excellence, and I feel that this is just another step in that direction,” Murray said. “To just bring great athletes together and be able to promote Texas Tech to them, we have an environment where they can be successful academically and athletically.”
But before Murray can focus on what his achievement does for the team, the Lady Raiders still have a hill to climb.
The Tech cross country team continues its season in the Mountain Regional Championships Saturday Nov. 14 in Albuquerque, N.M. The NCAA Championships Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind., follow as well.
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