Byrne earns bid to NCAA championships

Tyler Byrne and Ernest Kibet each ran to top-15 finishes Friday afternoon to lead the University of Louisville men’s cross country team to a 10th-place showing at the NCAA Southeast Regional in Earlysville, Va.
Byrne and Kibet each earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors for the first time in their respective careers after finishing in the top 30. Byrne, a North Harrison High School graduate, finished 10th and clocked a school-record 29:16.1 in the 10K. It’s the second-consecutive meet that Byrne has broken a Louisville school record after he set the 8K mark en route to winning the American Athletic Conference title.
‘Tyler was slightly off as far as breathing, but he kept battling and knew it could come down to the wire to get that final spot for the NCAA championships,’ assistant coach Joe Walker said. ‘He’s doing a good job, though, this season. He’s taking care of his body and doing all of the right things. I’m excited for him to get up to Terre Haute and have the opportunity to be an All-American.’
Kibet, who was only three spots away a season ago from earning all-region honors, took 11th in the field and clocked a time of 29:22.7 that now ranks second in school history to Byrne’s mark.
The NCAA championships will take place at Indiana State University in Terre Haute on Nov. 23.
Fellow North Harrison alum Jonathan Reynolds placed 158th in the race among 239 entrants. The freshman ran in 32:32.7.
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