Rotich sweeps season, earning third LSC Runner and Freshman of the Week honors.

RICHARDSON – Texas A&M University-Commerce freshman cross country star Nicodemus Rotich claimed his third sweep of the Lone Star Conference’s Runner of the Week and Freshman of the Week awards Monday. 

Rotich (Eldoret, Kenya) claimed his third win in three starts to start his collegiate career, claiming the title at the Angelo State Blue and Gold Invite. He completed the 8-kilometer course in 25:34.29 to win by 1.96 seconds. 

Rotich was also the champion at the DBU Orville Rogers Opener and his home meet, the East Texas Shootout, sweeping the regular season with wins in all three opportunities. 

Rotich becomes the first LSC runner to claim three Runner of the Week awards in a single season since A&M-Commerce’s Turner Pool in 2016. Based on available records, he is the sixth runner to win LSC Male Runner of the Week three times in a season since 2003. 

WEEKLY AWARDS

Men’s

S-28     Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

O-5      Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

O-19    Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

 

Women’s

S-28 Marissa Insinna, DBU

O-5 Marissa Insinna, DBU

O-19 Madison Brown, DBU

 

Men’s Freshman

S-28     Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

O-5      Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

O-19    Nicodemus Rotich, A&M-Commerce

 

Women’s Freshman

S-28 No Nominees

O-5 Megan Smith, DBU

O-19 Megan Smith, DBU

 

Kate Bruning is named Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce Lion Athletics has announced the promotion of Kate Bruning to the position of Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine. 

Bruning, who joined the Lions earlier in 2020, becomes the first woman to lead A&M-Commerce’s sports medicine unit, which has a long history of excellence, including the honor of being named the 2019 Lone Star Conference Athletic Training Staff of the Year. 

“I would like to thank Tim McMurray for this opportunity and the entire Lion Athletic Department for their support as I transition into this new role,” Bruning said. “I’m excited to continue to work with and build relationships with so many people who help improve the health and safety of all of our student-athletes. A&M-Commerce has a long-standing tradition of excellence and great leadership, and the sports medicine department has been no exception. I’m thrilled to get the chance to continue and build upon that tradition and lead this unit going forward.” 

“In her nearly four months as part of our Lion family, Kate has proven to be a Best in Class sports medicine professional who has established collaborative relationships throughout our department and with our valued medical partners,” said A&M-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray. “Over the last two months, she has also established herself as a highly functional and capable leader for the unit during our staff transitions. After a robust search process, I am thrilled that we were able to stay within the family to identify our next leader.”

Bruning came to Commerce after five years as an assistant trainer at her alma mater – Ashland University – serving the Eagles from 2014-20 in a full-time capacity. In this time, she worked directly with the Eagles’ football and national champion women’s basketball teams.

Bruning was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Morehead State from June 2013 to December 2014. There, she was the primary athletic trainer for the women’s soccer team.

Bruning was an athletic training student at Ashland, graduating in 2013, and worked with the Eagle football, women’s basketball, baseball, men’s basketball, softball, and men’s soccer teams.

Bruning has a degree in Athletic Training from Ashland. She earned her Masters in Sports Management from Morehead State in 2015.