Like a Lion protecting his prey, Devan Kipyegp exudes confidence. No matter the competition, the Saint Raphael Academy runner never backs down. If he’s not the first one across the line, chances are he’s not too far behind, giving every bit of energy to try and make it happen at the end.
During his breakthrough junior year in 2021-22, this was how Kipyego was wired, how he was tuned in to the task at hand – laser focused and ready to go! This is what earned the Saints’ standout the state cross-country title last fall. This is what made him a multiple state champion during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. This is what carried him to a national steeplechase crown and a near sub four-minute mile in the month of June..
“I like to run with a chip on my shoulder a lot,” he admitted. “I think a lot of people think I can’t do it or they like to prove me wrong when the odds are against me. I like to make it into where I can do it, where I will do it and I did do it. That’s kind of how I see it. I think a chip on my shoulder and proving people wrong helps me.”
Any doubters, Kipyego has more often than not proved them wrong.Just a few days before last season’s indoor state championship, Kipyego posted a message on Instagram concerning his intentions to sweep the distance events (3,000m, 1,500m and 1,000); a lofty goal considering the talent he was facing in each of his races. After winning the 3,000m in a hard-fought battle with Cumberland’s Henry Dennen, Kipyego had limited rest before toeing the line in the 1,500m against the fresh legs of Portsmouth’s speedy senior Kaden Kluth. The SRA runner didn’t hesitate to match up with Kluth head-to-head, and pulled out a victory by overtaking the Patriots’ all-stater in the race’s final few meters. He would complete the sweep with a win over Kluth in the 1,000m in another down-to-the-wire race. A well-executed race by Dennen in the 3K would prevent Kipyego from doing the same at the outdoor states where the SRA star won the 1,500m and 800m after beginning his day anchoring his school’s winning 4x800m squad with a 1:52 leg.
The 18-year-old harrier, a highly-recruited Division 1 prospect, is ready to go full speed ahead this fall with a record-breaking year, one that he hopes will eventually land him a spot at the top of the podium at the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in early December.
For Kipyego, it all starts on Sept. 24 when he competes in his first major meet of the season, the 16th annual Ocean State Invitational at Goddard State Memorial Park, a meet sponsored Hoka. One of the top regional competitions on the east coast is never short on talent and Kipyego is looking to lock horns with the best of them when he answers the gun in the featured Championship race. Among some of the elite runners he’ll be facing at the Ocean State Invite are Uxbridge senior Aidan Ross and St. John’s Prep senior Nathan Lopez. Ross was Massachusetts’ top harrier last year, winning the Division 3 crown at the All State Meet with a course record of 14:47.11. Lopez is a two-time outdoor 2M state titlist with a best of 9:06. Rhode Islanders such as North Kingstown’s Jackson Borge, Barrington’s Brandon Piedade and Lincoln’s Nathan Evans, all winners in their respective races at the season-opening Injury Fund Carnival, are also expected to battle with the upper-echelon of talent.
On the relatively flat, point-to-point course, Kipyego is not only eyeing a signature win at Ocean State but last year’s CR of 14:58.57, set by recent Conard (CT) grad and current Stanford freshman Gavin Sherry.
At last year’s event, Kipeygo won his varsity race with a time of 15:57.83. While his accomplishments on the trails and oval last year certainly equates to a time much faster this time around, he feels his base training lately and his overall speed makes him more than ready to break 15 minutes at the state’s largest invite with a legit chance to eclipse Sherry’s mark.
“Pretty much my workouts have been showing me that I can do it,” he said, while making reference to a workout he did last week that consisted of 3×2 miles at 9:50, 9:45 and 9:25 with a three-minute rest in between. “I think right now I’m at a point where I can definitely get that course record.”
Two weeks after Ocean State, Kipyego will attempt an assault on another record when he competes at the 50th annual Manhattan Invitational on Oct. 8 at historic Van Cortlandt Park in New York City. The Saints’ gifted harrier is entered in the featured Eastern States’ race. Kipyego, a winner in the Letter B race at last year’s event, is hoping to break the 2011 mark of 11:55.4 by Edward Cheserek when he was a junior at St. Benedict’s School in New Jersey. The Kenyan-born Cheserek went on to a legendary career at the University of Oregon where he was a 17-time NCAA champion in cross country and track.
Kipyego believes the best way to have a shot at Cheserek’s record, which is an average of 4:46 per mile, is to attack the course from the start.
“I think you’ve got to take it out in 4:35 (for the first mile), and just work it on the hills and let go on the downhills,” he said. ‘It’s a tough course, but if you can use the downhills to your advantage then I think you are in a pretty good spot. And when you are coming down the hill and that last 800 meters, I’ve got to work there and not die; just move my arms and legs and push as hard as I can.”
After Manhattan, Kipyego will turn his attention to the championship season at Ponaganset with the class meets scheduled for Oct. 29, the State Meet on Nov. 5 and the New England Championships on Nov. 12. The SRA harrier is the odds-on-favorite to claim his second straight state title and will be one of the runners to beat at the New England’s.
Kipyego, who won the national outdoor title for the 2K steeplechase at the New Balance Nationals this past June in Philadelphia, has high hopes this fall once he’s through competing in the ocean state. Those hopes include a possible national crown at NXN on Dec. 3.
On a recent college visit to the University of Washington, Kipyego was out on a training run with Connor Burns of Southern Boone County (MO), another big recruit by the Huskies and one of six runners that broke four minutes for the mile this past spring. Burns offered his thoughts on Kipyego’s chances at pulling it off.
“He told me he wouldn’t be surprised if I am one of the top guys,” he said. “There’s some really good guys but I don’t think most have the kick that I do. Overall, if you have a great kick and it comes naturally, you have a shot to win a lot of titles.”
***
Per usual, the Ocean State Invitational is a two-day event with middle school races on Friday, and the high-schoolers hitting the turf on Saturday. Preceding the high school races is a 5K Trail Race that’s open to runners of all ages. For the first time, this year’s race will utilize chip timing. Awards, medals and plaques will be given to the top individuals and teams. Check out the meet’s website at oceanstatexc.com for more information. Besides R.I., the meet is sanctioned for Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania. The entry deadline for the meet is Sunday, Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. Click on the link below to register.
