NCAA CHAMPION! Joyce Kimeli wins NCAA Indoor 5000m title

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NCAA CHAMPION! Joyce Kimeli wins NCAA Indoor 5000m title

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.—Auburn junior Joyce Kimeli won her first NCAA championship claiming the women's 5000m on Friday at the NCAA Indoor Championships, becoming the school's first national indoor champion since 2010 and first-ever in a distance event.
 
The SEC indoor champion at 5000m two weeks ago in the same venue, Kimeli led for nearly the entire race and fought off and outkicked Minnesota's Bethany Hasz and NC State's Elly Henes over the last 75 meters for the victory.
 
"I'm feeling good and I'm so excited. It means a lot," Kimeli said. "Being a champion for the school, that's about leadership. My teammates appreciate my work. They and my coaches kept calling me 'the champion'. I don't take it for granted and I see it as a blessing. My coaches and teammates give me great support and I'm thankful for that."
 
The pace went out slow however picked up over the last 2000m as Arkansas' Katie Izzo, the 2020 SEC indoor champion at 5000m overtook the lead from Kimeli. Kimeli went with Izzo and overtook the lead with under 1000m remaining went on to victory in 15:48.98. 
 
"The first few laps were very slow and I tried to push the lead and see if someone would challenge me," Kimeli said. "During the last few laps I realized we were going to finish at about 16 (minutes), which is slow to me. I tried to take the lead and I saw Katie (Izzo) go with me and take the lead and I was like 'thank you God'. She's the person I always race against and I accepted the challenge."
 
It was Kimeli's fourth win in five races during the indoor season. Among those wins was the SEC title at 3000m, a race she will run on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. She will vie for another championship as she enters the race with the third fastest time among the field of 16.  
 
In other action Friday, Auburn junior Alex Spyridonidis finished off a great Day 1 with another solid performance to finish fifth in the men's heptathlon with a personal best total of 5,863 points. The total is the fourth best-ever by an Auburn athlete and the highest finish at the indoor championships since Maurice Smith won the title in 2005. The Hannover, Germany native recorded career-best marks in three of the seven events.
 
Junior sprinter Dante Brown finished 10th in the men's 60m dash in a time of 6.66, just one hundredth of a second out of eighth place and a finalist spot. Fellow junior Dontavious Hill finished in a tie for ninth in the men's high jump after clearing 2.13m/6-11.75 in his first-ever NCAA appearance.
 
The final day action will see junior pole vaulter James Courson make his NCAA Indoors debut at 12:30 p.m. CT, while Kimeli will race in the women's 3000m at 7 p.m.
 
Thru 8 of 17 events, the Auburn women are tied for fourth with 14 points, while on the men's side the Tigers are tied for 25th with four points with 10 events left to be scored.
 
Live championship coverage will be streamed on ESPN3 with additional details to be forthcoming. A re-air of the championship will take place at 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 14 on ESPNU.
 
 
2021 NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
RANDAL TYSON TRACK CENTER
FAYETTEVILLE, AR