Men's Cross Country | 11/18/2025 3:25:00 PM

Cloud County Athletics is proud to announce the 2019 Cloud County men's outdoor track and field national championship team and the 2019 Cloud County men's cross country national championship team have been selected for induction to the Cloud County Athletics Hall of Fame.

The 2019 Cloud County men's track and field team had great success, including winning the program's first Region 6/Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference championships in both the indoor and outdoor seasons, and earned the program's first NJCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championship in May 2019 in Hobbs, New Mexico. Individually, distance runner Dennis Kiptoo topped the field in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase and added runner-up finishes in the 5,000-meter run and 10,000-meter run. Middle distance runner Dais Malebana picked up a runner-up finish in the 800-meter run and a top three finish in the 1,500-meter run. As a team, the T-Birds had 17 individuals or relay teams record a top-nine finish over the three-day event to earn All-American honors.

Members of the national championship team were: Kyle Alcine, Levi Armon, Murphy Bavinga, Tanner Brown, Gabriel Chinya, Johan Cobena, Ablel Gebreselase, Yuben Goncalves, Stephan Holland, Jerrod Hoover, Louis Humbert, Marco Joseph, Santino Kenyi, Saba Khvichava, Dennis Kiptoo, Lesley Mahlakohone, Dais Malebana, Kwanele Mthembu, Thom Reynders, and Sten Sepp.

Coaches of the national championship team were: Harry Kitchener, Drew Mahin, Sandy Moran and Ted Schmitz.

Six months later, the Cloud County Community College men's cross country team claimed the 2019 NJCAA Men's Cross Country National Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cloud County finished with a total of 89 points, more than 20 points better than runner-up El Paso Community College. The T-Birds had four runners in the top 20: Dais Malebana (10th), Kwanele Mthembu (11th), Saba Khvichava (12th), and Habtamu Geta (18th). Melebana, Mthembu and Khvichava received All-American honors.

Members of the national championship team were: Gabriel Chinya, Ablel Gebreselase, Habtamu Geta, Saba Khvichava, Kwanele Mthembu, and Dais Malebana.

Coaches of the national championship team were: Harry Kitchener and Drew Mahin

The induction ceremony for the 19th Cloud County Athletics Hall of Fame class will be held at halftime of the men's basketball game against Independence Community College on Saturday, January 17, 2026. The women's game will tip at 2 pm, with the men's game to follow at 4 pm.

A Cloud County cross country and track and field alumni reunion has been scheduled for January 17 at 6 pm at Warehouse 315, located at 315 W. 5th Street in Concordia. Food will be provided. To RSVP to the reunion, please click here.

The addition of this year's class brings the total of former teams in the Hall of Fame to six, with the national champion track and field and cross country teams joining the 2000-01 national champion women's basketball team, the 2011 national champion men's soccer team, the 1979-80 Region 6 champion men's basketball team, and the 1979-80 Region 6 champion and national runner-up women's basketball team.