Last year, two runners from Kenya joined ASU's men's cross country program and immediately made their mark on the team.
Sophomores Dennis Rono and Lemerian Lemashon consistently ran top times for the men's team, with Lemashon earning a top ten finish in his debut as a Sun Devil at the 8k UCR Invite last September. This season, both runners are looking to carry that momentum forward and capitalize on their early successes.
Rono and Lemashon both faced significant challenges when joining the Sun Devils in 2024, including issues with traveling to the United States and adjusting to the expectations of a new team.
"We got stuck in Thailand, and we were working on visas," Rono said. "We came late for classes. Working with the staff, coaches and faculty professors, we managed to get on track. That was the amazing part of it."
Despite these setbacks and adjustments, both runners were able to make a significant impact on the men's cross country team and see large improvements in their running.
"I had good scores, running good (personal records), and it was my first time being in cross country," Lemashon said. "I've never done cross country before."
For head coach Adam Meyer, Rono and Lemashon bring in a great deal of strength and ability to the men's team, and they also introduce a sense of personal ambition that cannot be ignored.
"They're high-caliber athletes, so we're really trying to make sure we maximize their potential and we help them get to where they want to be," Meyer said.
While traveling from Kenya to the United States for the first time to run for the Sun Devils was no easy feat, Rono and Lemashon have learned how to make Arizona their new home. Being able to rely on one another for friendship and understanding was central to their transition.
"Being here and not having any family member or anybody who can really understand you was really hard for me ... I came with (Dennis) at the same time, same season. It really helped me because he's a good person, he's a good runner," Lemashon said.
This season also saw the transfer of Evaline Chepkoech and Judy Chepkoech to Tulane and the University of Florida, respectively. They were runners on the 2024-25 women's team who originally came over from Kenya alongside Rono and Lemashon.
Not only have they left a gap in the women's cross country program, but they have also left a gap in Rono and Lemashon's support circles.
"It's great having people (where) you come from the same place, working for the dream," Rono said.
Rono and Lemashon were both acquainted with the Chepkoechs before joining the Sun Devils, training with each other before they signed with ASU.
"I heard that Judy had already signed to ASU … I knew that was really a good signing," said Lemashon. "(With) Evaline ... we were doing the same training program together in Kenya. She was really great.”
Even with the struggle of losing their friends to the transfer portal, these runners have found a sense of community and belonging among their other cross country teammates.
This sort of vitality and vigor has translated into lofty goals for Rono and Lemashon, who are both looking to make their names known not only on the college level but in the professional world as well.
"(I'd like to) maybe represent Team Kenya in the (2028) Olympics," Rono said. "It'll be my final year in school, so going to (the) Olympics and making it pro is my goal."
Coach Meyer shares a similar sentiment regarding his hopes for the runners' futures, while still placing a strong emphasis on day-by-day training and the need to work harder every single practice to achieve success.
For Lemashon, his goals for the future revolve around not just athletics but also academics and what he hopes to accomplish with his studies in the next few years.
"Before I think about the Olympics or any world championships, I want to get a very good (GPA) or maybe my degree from here," Lemashon said.
While it is still early in the 2025-26 cross country season, it is clear that Rono and Lemashon plan to continue working hard and winning for their team. They are both grateful for the opportunities given to them by the Sun Devil coaching staff and hope to pay their success forward to the rest of the team.
"Coming on here is a privilege for me," Lemashon said. "I know that I can make it to the World Championships, or maybe the Olympics, or any kind of a global competition that will make me recognized as an (alumnus) … which has really helped me to build up or to encourage my community."
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at bcsmit41@asu.edu.
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Brooklyn Smith is a sports reporter for The State Press and an English student at ASU. She is in her 1st semester with The State Press.
