Nov. 8, 2005

Winston-Salem, NC - Winston-Salem State University freshman Irene Jeptolo (Kapsabet, Kenya) has been named the Crown Trophy WSSU Student Athlete of the Week for her recent performance in which she won the Division II Women's Cross Country Southeast Regionals as she qualifies for the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships in Pomona, CA on November 19, 2005.  This accomplishment has earned the freshman Crown Trophy weekly athletic honors for a record fourth time in eleven weeks.

Jeptolo, a freshman from Kapsabet, Kenya (St. Joseph's Girls School) followed up her second place finish at the 2005 CIAA Women's Cross Country Championships with a Southeast Regional Championship as she continues along in a record-breaking season for a Lady Rams cross country runner.

Jeptolo and Anderson College's Jennifer Hitt and Diana Willard are the only three individual runners to advance to the NCAA Championships as they will be joined by the teams from Mars Hill and Carson Newman, both of whom will represent the South Atlantic Conference.  Jeptolo will be the only women's runner to represent the CIAA at the Championships.

For her efforts, she has been named the Crown Trophy, WSSU Student Athlete of the Week.

For additional information on WSSU women's cross country or the Crown Trophy WSSU Student-Athlete of the Week program, contact the WSSU Office of Sports Information at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at www.WSSURAMS.com

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