UTEP Miners

Miner Nuggets: NCAA All-American during the 2006 indoor and 2007 outdoor seasons ... placed second in the outdoor 800 at the NCAA Championships in 2007 and seventh in the indoor 800 in 2006 ... in the UTEP record book, ranks third in the indoor 800 (1:48.55) and fourth in the outdoor 800 (1:47.62) ... ranked tied for 51st in the world during 2006 the indoor season in the 800. 2007 (Junior): Cross Country (2007): Finished 11th in 25:37 at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational on Sept. 14 ... took 17th at the Lobo Invitational with a time of 27:24 ... came in 102nd at the Bill Delinger Invite in Eugene, Ore. (25:19) on Sept. 29. Outdoor: Took silver in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Championships with a time of 1:47.70, earning All-America accolades ... finished first at the NCAA Regional in the 800 with a time of 1:47.99 ... crossed second at the Drake Relays with an NCAA regional time of 1:47.82 ... finished second in the 400 at the Springtime and UTEP Invitationals with respective NCAA regional times of 46.14 and 46.47 ... posted a second-place finish in the 400 at the C-USA Championships (46.12) ... anchored the 1600-meter relay at the Drake Relays, earning an NCAA regional time of 3:07.32. Indoor: Earned an NCAA provisional time in the 800m at the Tyson Invitational by posting a first-place finish with a time of 1:49.12 ... finished third at the C-USA Championships in the 800 (1:52.81) ... meet champion in the 800 at the Husker Invite on Feb. 3 (1:50.34) ... crossed first at the Lobo Invite in the 400-meter dash with an NCAA provisional time of 47.23. 2006 (Sophomore): Cross Country (2006): Finished 61st in 33:06.9 at the NCAA Mountain Regional on Nov. 11 ... took 29th at the C-USA Championships ... 65th at the Chili Pepper Invitational ... runner-up at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational on Sept. 15 ... took 15th at the Lobo Invitational. Outdoor: Ran in the semifinals of the 800 at the NCAA Championships ... third in the 800 (1:47.94) at the NCAA Midwest Regional on May 27 ... C-USA champion in the 800 (1:50.13) and 1,600 relay (3:09.33) ... placed fourth in the special final of the 800 (1:49.85) at the Drake Relays on April 29 ... meet champion in the 800 (1:49.42) and 1,600 relay (3:11.56) at the UTEP Invitational on April 15 ... anchored the 1,600 sprint medley relay team which won the Texas Relays and set a new school record with a time of 3:16.63 ... took the gold in the 400 (47.53) and 1,600 relay (3:10.09) at the Springtime Invitational on April 1. Indoor: NCAA All-American by taking seventh in the 800 at the NCAA Championships in 1:48.55 ... did not finish the prelims of the event after being knocked down, but advanced to the finals after protest ... C-USA champion in the 800 (1:51.72) and as member of the 1,600 relay (3:15.89) ... ninth in the 800 (1:48.60) at the ISU Classic on Feb. 11 ... third in the 800 (1:50.87) at the Husker Invitational on Feb. 4 ... placed sixth in the 400 (47.81) and third as part of the 1,600 relay (3:12.97) at the Lobo Invitational on Jan. 21. 2005 (Freshman): Cross Country (2005): Competed at the NCAA Championships, but did not finish ... was 79th at the NCAA Mountain Regional in a time of 33:52.9 ... placed 22nd at the Conference USA Championships in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 29 ... fourth at both the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational on Sept. 2 and the Kachina Classic on Sept. 17 ... UTEP[apos]s fifth runner (61st overall) at the Chile Pepper Invitational on Oct. 15. Outdoor: Seventh in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Midwest Regional on May 29, running a personal best 1:49.11 ... WAC Champion in the 800 (1:50.02) ... fifth in the 1,600 relay at the conference championships ... 800 titles at the Springtime Invitational (1:50.76) on April 2 and the Spira Invitational (1:49.82) on April 16 ... anchored the 1,600 relay to the meet title at the Spira Invitational as well ... anchored the relay in the prelims of the Drake Relays on April 29. Indoor: WAC Freshman of the Year ... won three conference golds ... won the 800 (1:51.23), the 1,600 relay (3:14.06) and distance medley relay (10:10.18) ... placed 12th in the 800 at the ISU Classic with a season best and NCAA provisional time of 1:48.65 ... also sixth as part of the DMR at the ISU Classic ... second in the 800 at the Husker Invitational (1:50.43) on Feb. 5 ... additionally third as part of the 1,600 relay at Lincoln ... made his collegiate debut as part of the 1,600 relay which finished fifth at the Texas Tech Six Way on Jan. 22. Before UTEP: Ran cross country and track for Brother Colm before coming to UTEP ... competed in the 800 at the 2004 Kenya Championships ... second in the 800 with a time of 1:50.6 at the North Rift Championships ... came to UTEP with a personal best of 1:49.5 in the 800 and 47.5 in the 400. Personal: Full name is Elias Kipruto Koech ... majoring in accounting ... son of Christopher and Lucy Tarei ... has two brothers and three sisters ... born June 4, 1985, in Iten, Kenya.