Sugishita, Kemboi named to track & field all-decade team
7/17/2020 4:07:00 PM | Track and Field, Men's Track and Field
ATLANTA, Ga. -Â The ASUN Conference announced the Men's Track and Field 2011-20 All-Decade Team, and two former Spartans made the cut out of 38 student-athletes who were named to the list across eight programs. Gilbert Kemboi (2010-13), who was also recently named to the ASUN Cross Country All-Decade Team, along with USC Upstate Hall of Famer Kenneth Sugishita (2011-13) each appeared on the exclusive list.
"It was exciting to see Kenny and Gilbert on the all-decade team because they were two athletes who made a huge impact in the ASUN and were leaders for our team," said head coach Carson Blackwelder.
The inaugural Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Kemboi is one of the most highly accomplished distance runners to compete in the ASUN. He is the only athlete to win an event four years in a row (5,000-Meter Run) and also win a different event three times (3,000-Meter Run) at the ASUN Indoor Championships. Along with his wins at the Indoor Championships, he also won the 10,000-Meter Run (2012 &13) and the 5,000m (2012 &13) at the Outdoor Championships. Kemboi was also named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Track Performer of the Championships for Outdoor in both 2012 and 2013. The Eldoret, Kenya native still holds Upstate's indoor school record in the 3000m and 5000m as well as the outdoor school record in the 5000m and 10000m.
Sugishita, a thrower from Arroyo Grande, Calif., was inducted into the USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 class. A seven-time Athlete of the Week honoree, Sugishita is one of the most accomplished throwers to come through the ASUN. In 2012, he became the only ASUN student-athlete to win five throwing events in a single year by taking the Indoor Shot Put and Weight Throw as well as the Outdoor Shot Put, Hammer Throw and Discus. Sugishita also picked up another ASUN title in the Outdoor Championship Shot Put event in 2013. He currently owns the Upstate school record for indoor shot put and outdoor shot put, discuss, and hammer throw.
To be named to the All-Decade Team individuals must have competed for at least two years in the decade as an ASUN student-athlete. Exceptions made for NCAA All-Americans. Individuals that obtained one of the following criteria were named to the team: Three First Team All-Conference selections in Single Event, Five Total First Team All-Conference selections (including relays), multiple Superlative Award winner, NCAA Championship individual participant.
USC Upstate was a member of the ASUN Conference from 2007-18. The Spartans joined the Big South Conference on July 1, 2018
