American dream: How youngsters battle for tickets to US universities

Athletics is often a battle to destroy strong fields and writing history in spectacular fashions.

Aside from chasing glory in tough contests for sweet victories or podium spots, young and fast-rising track talents are racing not to defeat competitors but to beat time.

For decades, Kenya’s young athletics talents have for decades been racing to meet qualifying standards for student-athletes education scholarships – a tradition that has seen several runners live their American dreams. Others have returned to improve poor conditions back in their villages.

Last weekend, more than 170 athletes aged between 18 and 23 years converged at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru to contest for spots in US Universities as student-athletes in time trials organised to select runners who will do duty for American institutions in the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) events and other assignments.

In the race for tickets to American universities, athletes compete not against each other for top positions but to beat qualifying times set by institutions that are eagerly waiting for their arrivals in the Western country.

Budding stars, most of them from humble backgrounds, say they are on a mission to change home through athletics blended with America education.

At the Afraha Stadium time trials organised by Complete Sports Athletics Training Centre in partnership with US-based Peak Elite Scholars, athletes who had attempted to run inside the qualifying time succeeded after many failed attempts.

They are looking to continue a tradition that has seen many Kenyan athletes join American Universities while honing their athletics careers, miles away from home since the 1970s.

Legends such as 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medallist Prof Mike Boit (Eastern New Mexico University) and three-time Boston Marathon champion Ibrahim Hussein (University of New Mexico) among others laid down the early markers for Kenyan student athletes in America in the 1970s and 1980s.

For athletes such as Joyce Kiptabut who beat the 9:54 qualifying mark for the 3,000m and earned her ticket to an American University said she has set her sights on a spot to an American University for the last one year.

“Running the time trials was tough but we have to fight for it because we had trained well at Complete Sports Training Centre in Kaptagat,” Kiptabut said after timing 9:42.6 in the women’s time trial.

She went on to say: “I am ready to join Kansas State University in the US. I have competed in numerous time trials in the last one year and I qualified in 1,500m in February and in 3,000m in Nakuru.”

Kiptabut said she is confident that the student-athlete scholarship opportunity will get her parents and siblings in Ainabkoi, Uasin Gishu County out of poverty.

“I got free accommodation at the training camp and I thank my coaches for having faith in me. I am fighting so that I can help my family,” Kiptabut added.

She says she is inspired by three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon who also trains in Kaptagat.

Chelsea Chepkemboi who charged to a 4:19.6 finish in the women’s 1,500m time trial said she is motivated by athletics stars who have qualified to join American Universities through time trials.

According to Chepkemboi, running time trials tests young athletes’ endurance to the limit.

“You have to balance the race to beat the qualifying time. You have to work at a pace and know when to kick. I am happy that I ran inside the qualification time.

“My parents have been encouraging me. There was a time I was almost losing hope after many failures. It was my first time to achieve 4:19 in 1,500m after six attempts at the qualifying mark,” said Chepkemboi, who comes from Uasin Gishu County.

Victor Ledama of Narok improved a 8:56 in 3,000m which he recorded in Kapsabet in February to 8:05.5, booking his slot in a US University during the Nakuru trials.

“I came back more confident. Through this achievement, I will uplift myself and my family and be among Kenyans who have represented my country in America.”

Iten-based Meshack Kipkoech is waiting for his placement in an American University after an explosive 8:01.7 in the men’s 3,000m.

“I ran my first time trials in Nairobi last year but I didn’t attain the time. I had also attempted to qualify in Kapsabet earlier this year but I am lucky that my dream has come true,” he said.

Those who failed to hit the qualifying marks said they were returning to their training bases to train harder for their American dream.

Martha Jelimo who missed the 5,000m 16:30 qualification time by 20 seconds said she was hopeful of hitting the mark in the next time trials opportunity.

“I’m going back to the drawing board. I defer my dream of going to America to nurture my talent, attain education and come back to represent Kenya. I have picked my lessons and I will come back stronger. I’m hopeful of achieving the qualifying time and to train in US’s advanced facilities,” said Jelimo.

Collins Kemboi from Iten said after missing the 3,000m qualification mark of 8:10 by two seconds: “I was behind a group that was running at a pace that I thought was within the qualifying mark only to discover that we were slower. I will train harder to achieve in the next time trials.”

Complete Sports Training Centre Director, former Commonwealth Games 800m champion Japheth Kimutai urged athletes who did not qualify to keep participating in upcoming time trials.

Kimutai said 24 out of the over 170 athletes who took part in the time trials attained the qualifying standards.

“It is impressive that a young talent can post 4:19 in the women’s 1,500m in Nakuru. A good number of our athletes are doing well in the US. You can see that almost all those athletes who participated in the World Indoor Championships in Poland are student athletes. We have sent more than 100 athletes to the US in recent years,” the legend said.

Athletics Kenya safeguarding director Elizabeth Keitany said the federation ensured that athletes who fall within the required age secured academic scholarships.

“Age cheating is a major issue but we have ensured that those who are taking part in time trials present genuine documents. We are also ensuring that our young athletes run clean,” the AK official said.