by Larry Eder
Arkansas alum Amon Kemboi joins professional track club
Online Version: https://bit.ly/3tNbPhc
Arkansas graduate Amon Kemboi, who earned six All-America honors as a Razorback, announced he has joined the professional group coached by UA alum Alistair Cragg in North Carolina.
Kemboi is among four post-collegiate signings this year for Puma Elite Running as he joins Ehab El-Sandali (Iona), Jess Lawson (Stanford), and Allie Schadler (Washington). The group also includes Razorback alum Taylor Werner.
Earning six All-America honors with Arkansas, Kemboi collected 11 overall in his collegiate career with five occurring while at Campbell University. With the Razorbacks Kemboi earned three honors in cross country and three during the indoor season.
As a member of Arkansas squads that earned a place on the podium twice by finishing fourth in consecutive NCAA Cross Country Championships, Kemboi placed eighth (2019), 11th (spring 2021), and 12th (fall 2021) in three appearances with the Razorbacks.
Indoors, Kemboi broke the 5,000m Arkansas school record with a 13:26.44 performance. It moved him ahead of the 13:28.93 previous record set by Cragg in 2003. A career best of 7:42.29 at 3,000m moved Kemboi to No. 2 on the UA all-time list behind the school record of 7:38.59 established by Cragg in 2004.
A silver medalist in the 3,000m at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships, Kemboi also finished seventh in the 5,000m. During the 2022 SEC Indoor Championships, Kemboi won the 3,000m title in a meet and facility record of 7:47.34 at Texas A&M. He also anchored the distance medley relay to a SEC silver medal performance with a 3:56.78 anchor leg split.
During the 2022 outdoor season, Kemboi improved his career best in the 10,000m to 28:02.24 as runner-up in the Mt. SAC Relays. The time moved Kemboi to No. 2 on the UA all-time list, behind the 27:52.10 school record held by Shawn Forrest from 2009. At the 5,000m distance Kemboi’s 13:30.96 ranks No. 10 on the Razorback all-time list.
Displaying his range from the mile to 10,000m, Kemboi collected a silver medal in the 5,000m and a bronze medal in the 1,500m at the 2022 SEC Outdoor Championships. He qualified for the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 5k and 10k.
During March of 2021 Arkansas hosted the NCAA Indoor Championships and two days later competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championships held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which were delayed due to covid. Kemboi contested both championship meets and covered a distance of 18,000m through three races.
In 2021 and 2022, Kemboi was part of two SEC Triple Crowns achieved by the Razorbacks as Arkansas captured six consecutive conference titles over those two seasons in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. Kemboi totaled nine SEC medals with the Razorbacks – 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze.
