Admin (Garrett Zatlin)
Jun 192 min
Earlier today, The Stride Report learned that South Carolina's Judy Kosgei, who was just a freshman this past year, has entered the transfer portal. According to TFRRS, she is expected to have three full years of eligibility across all three seasons of competition.
In terms of long-term value, Kosgei has the potential to be a massive pickup for whoever is able to sign the soon-to-be-former Gamecock ace. After earning a 19th place All-American finish at the 2023 NCAA XC Championships, Kosgei went on to produce times of 2:01 (800), 4:07 (1500), 4:34 (mile) and 9:10 (3k) on the oval. She also qualified for the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Championships over 1500 meters.
Despite ending her rookie year in the 1500-meter prelims on the national stage, it seems more than fair to suggest that Kosgei can be a true three-season All-American contender throughout her collegiate career. She is already a national-caliber low-stick on the grass, but she is also able to drop down in distance to be one of the more fearsome milers in the country (as far as raw fitness is concerned).
In fact, in some ways, she mirrors the skillset of the now-graduated, Flomena Asekol.
Speaking of Asekol, it feels like the Florida women should be considered the favorites to land Judy Kosgei. With Coach Will Palmer facing multiple high-impact departures from 2023 cross country lineup, the need for replacement firepower this summer is evident.
With Hilda Olemomoi also favored (but not at all guaranteed) to sign with the Gators, pairing these two Kenyan distance stars would create a fearsome duo that is among the best in the NCAA. That tandem would also give the Gators enough of a scoring base to remain as top contenders for the upcoming cross country season.
But just like we mentioned above, the middle distance aspect of Kosgei would make her the perfect replacement for Asekol once the indoor and outdoor track seasons roll around.
Other programs such as Arkansas, Alabama, New Mexico and Oklahoma State would also make sense. Beginning with the former, the Razorbacks are seemingly one more major piece away from being podium favorites later this fall. They have also proven in the past that they are willing to go after big-name talents in the portal.
As for Alabama, Coach Nick Stenuf has proven that he can effectively nurture the talent of superstar-caliber distance runners, especially those with African backgrounds like Kosgei. And if the Crimson Tide were to secure Kosgei, then the recent departure of Hilda Olemomoi would begin to sting far less.
New Mexico and Oklahoma State are two other programs that have been willing to go after African distance runners. For the latter, Coach Dave Smith has done a fantastic job at developing versatile talents just like Kosgei, making her a perfect fit for the roster ethos that the Cowgirls have established.