In just her first semester as a freshman, Susan Ejore from Nakuru, Kenya, has elevated Monroe College’s cross-country team to a dominant position. Oct. 17, the Mustangs won the Region 15 Championship as Ejore set her third course record of the season—an incredible accomplishment for someone who has only been running competitively for about four years and who never competed in a race longer than three kilometers before arriving in New Rochelle (cross-country courses are 5K).

“She’s very goal oriented,” said Mustangs coach Shirvon Greene. “She’s like a fanatic of technique execution. She’s very driven to achieve what’s out in front of her. … She has been setting records to the point where the program is now getting a lot of potential athletes from Kenya, other African countries and locally as well.”

Ejore, 19, said throughout high school she dreamed of attending nursing school in the United States. When she met a coach who introduced her to Monroe, she decided to attend. Mostly a middle-distance runner, she quickly saw she could adapt to longer distances when she began training for cross-country.

“In New Rochelle, the altitude seems to be lower than Kenya,” said Ejore. “Now it’s cold. I’m putting on warm stuff.”

Greene, who came from the Caribbean country of St. Kitts-Nevis to attend Monroe, understands what it’s like to experience cold weather for the first time. With that in mind, he has devoted time and thought to acclimating Ejore and teammate Nokuthula Dlamini, who comes from South Africa, to their new surroundings.

“It takes 21 days to adjust to your environment,” Greene said. “What I normally do is have them train early mornings so we can get the feel of the cold. That’s where they would be able to adjust into it. Tell them to eat proper foods and dress as warm as possible and wear layers.”

Ejore is still awaiting word of whether she has qualified for the NJCAA National Championships in mid-November, but chances are excellent. After that, she will begin training for indoor track season, where she will run the mile and the 3,000 meters. In outdoor season next spring, she will run the 1,500 meters and the 800 meters, which is actually her best race.