Photo Courtesy of AUM Athletics
Basil Koech, anything that the mind thinks or wants, it is something that is achievable.
By: Zoe McWilliams
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Basil Koech runs cross country for Auburn University at Montgomery and being a freshman, he has some great things going for him now and in his future.
Basil’s recent finish of 15:39.60 led to the success of AUM being in second place, and a new record at the meet held at Jacksonville State University. According to the Cross-Country roster on the AUM Athletics website, Basil is named an All-Region runner in the 3K at St. Johns High School. The computer science major was also named Warhawk of the Week in September. Basil also placed eighth place in the meet held at Foothills Invitational in Oxford, Alabama.
I was able to talk to Basil about how he became so motivated to run and give advice for students who are looking into running. Basil comes from a family of six siblings, who are all girls and who all run cross country, track and field in their hometown of Kericho, Kenya.
When asked what led him to AUM he said, “I was offered a full athletic scholarship to run cross country and track, but AUM is mainly a cross country school. Looking into what different schools have to offer for scholarships is important when looking for a school to attend,” Basil said.
Basil said he has bonded with his AUM’s cross country teammates, as the team has so much passion for their sport. He said, “They have a unity and lots of love, they received me here and have so much love for me.” Tackling being a full-time student and a full-time athlete can be hard. I asked for some advice for anyone who has a passion for running cross country, and Basil had this to say, “If you have the belief you want to do it, just go ahead and do it. Anything that the mind thinks or wants, it is something that is achievable.”