Kaumba Topples NCAA Foes Again

October 19, 2004

Defending NAIA cross country champion Mirriam Kaumba toppled the NCAA Division I competition again on Saturday, winning the University of Arkansas' prestigious Chile Pepper Festival.

A week after beating the NCAA competition at Oklahoma State University's Cowboy Jamboree, Kaumba held off Oral Roberts' Faithy Kamangila by nearly five seconds. Kaumba finished at 20:25.4. Two-time NCAA All-American Janet Kogo of Harding was third, followed by Mary Kinyanjui of Texas Christian and Karin van Rooyen of No. 13 Southern Methodist. Also at the meet were No. 20 Arkansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Alabama-Birmingham, Loyola, Kansas State, Georgia Tech, LSU, Tulsa, Houston, and Mississippi, among others.

Kaumba has won all six races she has entered this season heading into Nov. 6's NAIA Region VI Meet in Shawnee. A senior from Zambia, Kaumba also won the last six meets of the 2003 season, dating back to a loss to Kogo at the Missouri Southern Stampede Sept. 20, 2003, giving her 12 consecutive victories.

She won the NAIA national championship last season by nine seconds.