DES MOINES, Iowa- VMI freshman Felix Kitur placed sixth in his semi-final heat at the NCAA National Track and Field Championships Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, running a 1:48.22 to fall just short of earning a spot in the event's finals. The time was Kitur's second-fastest time ever, but with the finish, his standout freshman season draws to a close.

The Eldoret, Kenya native drew a very difficult heat, as top qualifier Andrew Wheating, and this season's top performer, Jacob Hernandez, were two of Kitur's seven opponents. That heat draw proved to make a difference, as not only were Wheating and Hernandez the top two finishers in Kitur's race, but the race was the faster of the two semi-finals.

Despite that, Kitur just missed qualifying for the final on time, falling a mere 17-hundredths (.17) of a second short. He posted the top time of those who will not move to the finals, thus earning a ninth-place finish for the meet, and falling just shy of earning All-American honors. The freshman will end this Track and Field season as the top-ranked freshman in the country at the 800-meter distance.

“Although Felix is disappointed, a ninth-place finish, and missing All-American honors by such a small amount, is absolutely outstanding. He is a fine young man, has enjoyed an excellent freshman season, and we believe he has the talent and the work ethic to contend for a national championship in his three remaining collegiate seasons,” stated VMI Head Track and Field Coach Darrin Webb.

Had Kitur been in the other semi-final heat, the VMI standout would have finished second, and thus earned one of that race's automatic qualifying berths.