DALLAS – Following a team sweep of the Upstate Invitational, Jax State freshmen Viola Jepleting and Nelbat Kiprop Kirwa have been named the Conference USA Freshmen of the Week. Jax State has now secured 10 Conference USA Weekly awards this season.

Jepleting set a new personal best 5K time on the way to earning the individual championship at the Upstate Invitational. Along with her individual title, Jepleting led a Jax State team that won its first team championship of the season in Spartanburg.

Jepleting was the first Gamecock across the line with a time of 17:28.5, finishing ahead of teammates Mercy Jebet and Jepkirui Kurgoi who placed second and third respectively.
 
Kirwa placed ninth in the Upstate Invitational and clocked a time of 24:42.8 in the event, finishing as the second-best freshman at the meet. Kirwa helped the Gamecocks to their second team title of the season by earning his second career top ten finish in Spartanburg. Jax State finished the meet leading second place Western Carolina by 90 points. 

The honor is Kirwa's third CUSA designation of the season, also earning CUSA Freshmen of the Week following the Southern Showcase and the Georgia Tech Invitational.

The Gamecocks look ahead to the Conference USA Championship on Nov. 1 in Huntsville, Ala. Jax State is also ranked in both the men's and women's USTFCCCA South Region Rankings jumping three spots to 12^th in the men's poll and remaining at 15^th in the women's rankings.