Aggies Sign World Leader, Two-Time NJCAA Champion Mpoke

Nov 12, 2020 | Track and Field

2021 Signing Class

By: Tyler Pounds, Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The all-time world indoor best in the 600 yard and two-time NJCAA champion Moitalel Mpoke makes his way from the Texas Panhandle to Brazos Valley after signing his National Letter of Intent, track & field head coach Pat Henry announced.

A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Mpoke is a transfer from South Plains Community College where he claimed the 2020 NJCAA Indoor Championship in the 600m (1:16.93) and 800m (1:52.64). Mpoke will be a mid-year transfer and is eligible for the 2021 indoor and outdoor seasons.

SWIFT. AGILE. QUICK.??

Moitalel Mpoke took home a pair of W's in the 600 and 800-meter run, earning #NJCAATF Athlete of the Week honors! #NJCAAPOTW pic.twitter.com/G8KGaAESIp
— NJCAA Cross Country and Track & Field (@NJCAAXCTF) March 11, 2020

Moitalel [Mpoke] is a special athlete. He has great range. He can run the quarter, intermediate hurdles and even run the half-mile. Coach Mallard and I are looking forward to working with him. You can tell he is a great competitor and it's going to be fun to see how much better he's going to get. He's definitely a guy that can step in and help our program immediately.

Track & Field Head Coach Pat Henry

During the 2020 indoor season, he won eight of the nine individual races he entered, in distances ranging from the 400m, 600m, 600 yard, 800m and 1000m. Most notably, he won the Texas Tech Shootout 600 yard with a World Record time of 1:06.93. In his lone appearance in Aggieland, he won the Charlie Thomas Invitational 800m with a time of 1:50.72, nearly three seconds faster than the second place finisher.

During the 2020 indoor season, he won eight of the nine individual races he entered, in distances ranging from the 400m, 600m, 600 yard, 800m and 1000m. Most notably, he won the Texas Tech Shootout 600 yard with an all-time world indoor best time of 1:06.93. In his lone appearance in Aggieland, he won the Charlie Thomas Invitational 800m with a time of 1:50.72, nearly three seconds faster than the second place finisher.

As a freshman at South Plains, he ran a season best 400m hurdles time at 51.11 and was an NJCAA National Outdoor Championships qualifier finishing third with a time of 51.12.

He's the best well rounded athlete in this recruiting class. He has versatility, range, strength and speed. He is also a young man that is going to be successful in the classroom and he's going to take advantage of every opportunity he has.

Assistant Coach Milton Mallard

In 2017, he represented Kenya at the IAAF World U18 Championships finishing as the silver medalist in the 400m hurdles with a time of 52.06.