Oct. 10, 2008

For Immediate Release October 10, 2008 ORLANDO, FL - Saturday will be a bittersweet day in the history of Winston-Salem State University cross country as one of the greatest runners in program history will don the red & white for the final time. WSSU senior cross country star Irene Jeptolo and the rest of the Winston-Salem State Rams and Lady Rams cross country teams will one of over 100 teams competing in one of the biggest meets of the cross country season.

The Rams and Lady Rams will line up against some of the top teams in the country. Teams from the University of Alabama, the University of South Carolina, the University of Florida, Clemson, and the University of Houston are scheduled to take part in the meet. Last season, the Rams and Lady Rams had some great finishes in the event. The Rams finished 34th in the team division while the Lady Rams finished 22nd in the event.

Saturday's meet will cap a stellar career by Winston-Salem State senior Irene Jeptolo. During her career, Jeptolo has recorded seven first place finishes and a trip to the NCAA Division II Championships in 2005. Jeptolo got her career off to a fantastic start with five top ten finishes as a true freshman. She also capped her freshman year with a second-place finish in the CIAA Championships and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. After winning the Regional, Jeptolo earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships where she finished 59th overall. She went on to record 17 top ten finishes in 23 career races. Last season, Jeptolo had a great performance at the Walt Disney Cross Country Classic with a seventh-place finish and posting a time of 18:16.61.

The Rams' 8K race is scheduled for a 7:45 a.m. start while the Lady Rams will begin their 5K run at 8:30 a.m. at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla. For more information on Winston-Salem State cross country, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2909 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.