Sanga wins OVC Track Athlete of the Year, notches cross country/indoor sweep
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – It’s déjà vu for Purity Sanga and the Tennessee Tech cross country/track and field program. The day before Tech took part in the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships back in October, the league named Sanga its Female Cross Country Runner of the Year. Fast forward to mid-February and the eve of the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships, and the conference office has made the same selection, recognizing Sanga as its Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year Tuesday morning.
By Nate Perry, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – It's déjà vu for Purity Sanga and the Tennessee Tech cross country/track and field program.
The day before Tech took part in the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships back in October, the league named Sanga its Female Cross Country Runner of the Year. Fast forward to mid-February and the eve of the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships, and the conference office has made the same selection, recognizing Sanga as its Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year Tuesday morning.
The award makes Sanga the first female conference athlete since Eastern Kentucky's Ann Eason in 2014-15 to win both the cross country and indoor track Runner/Athlete of the Year honors consecutively.
It also gives Tennessee Tech the last two Female Indoor Track Athletes of the Year after Micayla Rennick received the title for the 2018 season.
"I am so proud of Purity," said head coach Wayne Angel. "The hard work, dedication and her pursuit of excellence has earned her this honor for which she is so deserving. "
Sanga's indoor season could be one of the most efficient in OVC history. In just four total races at three meets, the sophomore from Kapsabet, Kenya established the top times in the league for the mile (4-minutes, 54.55-seconds), the 3,000 meters (9:35.36), and the 5,000 meters (16:46.31). None of those four races saw her finish lower than sixth place overall.
Her 5K mark, set January 25 at the Indiana Relays, smashed the Tech school record for the event – one that Sanga already owned – by more than 16 seconds (17:02.18).
The time also sits in its own realm on the OVC Indoor Performance List, as it separates Sanga from the league's No. 2, Kortney Schardt of Belmont, by more than 36 seconds (17:22.59).
Sanga's best mark in the 3,000 meters came at the team's most recent meet, the Samford Bulldog Open. Completing the race in 9:35.36, Sanga notched her first career victory in the 3K, and the second of her indoor career in any event.
The distance star holds a substantial lead over the rest of the conference for the 3,000m as well, with a time almost 22 seconds faster than anyone else.
Her one-mile time is one of four in the OVC that broke the five-minute mark this year, and is just over three seconds better than any other split.
An OVC superstar, Sanga was recognized twice during the indoor season as the league's Track Athlete of the Week, giving her an astonishing total of seven weekly conference honors between her cross country and track campaigns.
The Kenyan becomes Wayne Angel's fifth Runner/Athlete of the Year recipient, which have all come over the past two academic years. It also gives the coach an average of one winner for each of his five seasons as TTU cross country/track and field head coach. The full list is below:
Gilbert Boit – Male Cross Country Runner of the Year, 2017
Micayla Rennick – Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2018
Micayla Rennick – Female Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2018
Purity Sanga – Female Cross Country Runner of the Year, 2018
Purity Sanga – Female Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2019
