Silas Kiptanui finished as runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on March 26 during the first day of the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State at Paul Derr Track Facility. The event marked a strong start for Tulane University’s men’s track and field team.
The meet is significant as it brings together collegiate athletes from various programs to compete in multiple track and field events. Performances like Kiptanui’s highlight individual and team progress early in the outdoor season.
In field events, Aiden Yang threw 53.98 meters in the men’s javelin to place 21st, while Sofie Groeninger placed 25th with a mark of 37.91 meters in the women’s javelin. On the track, Gilbert Rono ran a time of 3:47.67 in the men’s 1,500 meters—securing seventh place all-time in Tulane’s program history and finishing 70th overall among competitors. Teammates Daniel Reza (3:53.90) and Paul James Pam (3:55.19) also participated.
Kiptanui’s performance was one of the day’s highlights as he completed his race with a time of 8:29.21—second only to Kentucky’s Collins Kiprop Kipngok who finished at 8:24.48—and narrowly missed breaking his own school record set last season.
Other notable results included Rogerio Amaral leading three Tulane runners in the men’s 5,000 meters with a time of 14:15.54 (64th place), Tommy Rice placing 80th (14:19.24), and Cooper Sorsen finishing at position 204 (15:19.40). Juan Giron competed solo for Tulane in the men’s 10,000 meters, coming in at position number eighty-eight with a time of just under thirty-one minutes.
Competition continues tomorrow with more field and track events scheduled throughout Friday at Paul Derr Track Facility.
