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GREENSBORO -- There's a new era at Guilford College.

The Quakers have had cross country since 2004. Now, they've reinstituted the men's track and field team for the 2009-2010 season and started their first ever women's team.

The new team does not yet have their own practice facility, so they practice down the road at the American Hebrew Academy.

But the Quakers are starting to build an impressive team with a runner a long way from home.

Derick Kosgei, a distance runner from Kenya, just earned Guilford College its first ever individual conference outdoor track title, winning the 5,000 meters at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships.

"That really means a lot to me," said Kosgei. "Being the first one, yeah it really feels good."

Bill Cason, the Guilford College track and cross country coach said its a big accomplishment for such a small school that hasn't even had a track team in 40 years."To win a conference title in a good conference was a very exciting moment," he said.

It's been quite the transition for Kosgei, a sophomore who transferred from East Central University in Oklahoma after just one year in the United States.

"When I came it was kind of hard. It's new, different weather, different food," said Kosgei. "It was hard but now, after running, I've been able to cope with it."

It's also a transitional period for the team, but Kosgei's unparalleled work ethic has made it easy.

"Derick's a pretty easygoing guy, makes friends easily and is kind of the leader on the team here since everybody kind of looks up to him," said Cason.

Derick has also excelled in the classroom at Guilford College. The business and accounting major is an honor roll student-athlete, with a future that looks bright.

"He was actually the first All-Regional runner the school has ever had, back in the Fall in cross country, now being a conference champion," said Cason. "Derick has a legitimate shot at being a national qualifier before he graduates."

Kosgei already shaved off about a minute from his 5,000 meters time from last Fall. This weekend he'll need to take off even more time at the Duke Twilight track and field meet.

He'll need to get a time less than 14:48 to qualify for Nationals, and he's confident he'll do so.