It seemed like Sally Kipyego's dominance in the collegiate track world would never end.
But all good things come to an end eventually.
As an eight-time national and 12-time conference champion, Kipyego is preparing to end her career as a Red Raider at the NCAA Championships Friday and Saturday in College Station. Competing in the mile and the 5,000-meter race, Kipyego has a chance to win two more championships, bringing her total to 10 - which would be the most individual titles in NCAA track and field history.
Although the outdoor season is still to come, Kipyego's eligibility runs out after the indoor season.
"It feels good, but at the same time sad because I'm not going to be - I'm going to be a Red Raider of course - but I am not going to be competing for Tech anymore," she said. "It's something that I guess, you've got to move on and go to next level."
Kipyego said she did not expect the amount of success she has attained when she came to Lubbock, but she is grateful for the opportunities she has been given and would not trade her experiences for anything.
As to why Kipyego has achieved so much, she gives most of the credit to the support she received at Tech.
She said it was great to work with people she enjoyed, who always knew what she needed, and who helped her get the best out of her athletic talent.
Tech coach Wes Kittley said her success stems from her work ethic.
He said she came to Tech determined to be the best and worked harder than anyone he had ever seen.
Kittley said coming from Kenya and having very few physical possessions motivated Kipyego to make the most of her life with what she was given.
In addition to her dominance on the track, Kipyego also has excelled in the classroom and is preparing to graduate with a nursing degree in May.
She said balancing academics with athletics has added a lot of pressure because both demand a lot of commitment. During the last cross country season, Kipyego did not run the first four meets because of the demands nursing school brought.
Because of her success on the track, she said she constantly is expected to perform well and because she holds herself to a high scholastic standard, she will not allow herself to slip there either.
"What I don't think people realize is that she's on her feet eight to 10 hours a day and she's setting collegiate records, and she's actually going for the all-time NCAA national championships (record)," Kittley said. "I think it's very hard for her - I think it's been so hard on her that people don't realize how hard - and that's what makes it even more grand and more special."
Kittley said he believes her times will drop even lower after she graduates because she will not be dealing with the added stress of nursing school.
However, Kipyego's academic career has not prevented her from etching her way into the record books.
In only two-and-a-half years of competition, she not only has won eight national championships and 12 conference championships, she also is a 10-time All-American and she holds NCAA records in two events and school records in three.
Even after all she has achieved, Kipyego is not done yet. She plans to run professionally after nationals.
Kittley said he is going to use this weekend to enjoy her performance one more time before figuring out what direction to take the program in the post-Kipyego era.
So that leaves the question: Will there ever be another Kipyego?
"People ask me all the time, you know, 'You got another Sally coming?' or, 'Is there another Sally?' and I tell them honestly, 'No, there will never be another Sally.'" Kittley said. "I believe once in the lifetime of my coaching those come along, so it's been fabulous."
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