GREENVILLE, S.C. – Successful seasons on the course and in the classroom paid dividends for Joshua Chepkesir and Valary Samoei when they were named as the men's and women's cross country Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athletes of the Year, league officials announced Friday.
 
A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Chepkesir claimed the Conference Carolinas individual championship and then placed second at the NCAA Southeast Regional. Chepkesir capped off his season with an 8^th place finish at the NCAA Championship to earn all-American status for the second year. He was also named the Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year. 
 
Samoei logged a 4^th place finish at the Conference Carolinas Championships to earn all-conference nods. A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Samoei finished her season at the NCAA Southeast Regional with a 36^th place finish.
 
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year winners are chosen by the Conference Carolinas Student-Athlete Affairs Committee. To be considered, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or higher. In addition, the nominees for the award must have been named all-conference in their sport and also chosen academic all-conference.