Kenneth Rooks

Kenneth Rooks (/rʊks/ RUUKS; born October 21,

Kenneth Rooks
1999)[3] is an American track and field athlete who
specializes in the 3000 m steeplechase. Originally from
College Place, Washington,[4] Rooks competed in
college for the BYU Cougars, where he was the
national champion in the steeplechase at the 2023
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field
Championships. Rooks signed a professional contract
with Nike in 2024. He won a silver medal at the 2024
Summer Olympics in the 3000 m steeplechase.

Early life
Rooks attended College Place High School in College
Place, Washington.[5] He won multiple state titles in
cross country and track, and he recorded personal bests Rooks competing in the 3000 m steeplechase
of 1:53.56 for 800 m, 4:11.40 for one mile, and 9:20.86 at the 2024 Olympic Trials
for 3200 m.[6] During his first two years of college at Personal information
Brigham Young University, Rooks did not participate
Nationality American
in athletics due to his time spent in Kampala, Uganda
as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Born October 21, 1999

Latter-day Saints.[7] Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)

Sport
Sport Athletics
College career Event 3000 m steeplechase

On May 6, 2023, Rooks recorded a new personal best College team BYU Cougars
in the 3000 m steeplechase, running 8:17.62 in Walnut, Club Nike,[1] Run Elite[2]
California; at the time, it was the fastest-ever time by Turned pro January 2024
an American collegiate athlete.[8] It also broke a 46-
Achievements and titles
year-old school record set by Henry Marsh.[9] In June
2023, Rooks won the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Personal 3000 m steeplechase: 8:06.41
best(s) (Paris Olympics, 2024)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
2024 Paris 3000 m steeplechase
Track and Field Championships title in the 3000 m steeplechase, at the event held in Austin, Texas.[10]
His winning time of 8:26.17 was a new stadium record.[11]

Senior career

2023
Competing at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, Rooks
finished first in the final of the 3000 m steeplechase.[12] The victory came despite Rooks falling during
the race and having to work himself back to the front.[13] Rooks said he mentally prepared for how he
would react if he fell during a race and took inspiration from former national champion Henry Marsh,
who would often race from the back of the field.[14] Rooks was selected for the 2023 World Athletics
Championships in Budapest in August 2023, in which he finished tenth in the final.[15][16]

2024: Olympic silver medalist

Rooks announced his decision to compete professionally for Nike in January 2024.[17] At the 2024 U.S.
Olympic Trials in June, Rooks made it through the heats and won the 3000 m steeplechase final in a time
of 8:21.92, securing his spot on Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[18]

At the Olympic Games, Rooks' first, he made it into the final of the 3000 m steeplechase and won the
silver medal in a new personal best time of 8:06.41. Rooks stayed back for much of the race, but after
gradually moving up on the pack, he surged to the lead in the bell lap. During the final jump on the back
straightaway, world record holder Lamecha Girma fell, causing several other athletes to stumble. In the
final curve, after the last water jump, Rooks was passed by defending Olympic champion Soufiane El
Bakkali of Morocco, while Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot caught up to Rooks at the final jump. However,
Rooks kicked, and he edged Kibiwot at the finish line to earn the silver medal while improving his
personal best by nine seconds.[19][20]

Personal life
As of 2024, he lives in the Provo, Utah area with his wife, Taylor.[21]

References
1. Payne, Jackson (January 12, 2024). "BYU track and field star Kenneth Rooks turns pro,
signs with Nike" ([Link]
o-nike). Deseret News. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
2. Southwick, Landon (June 21, 2024). "Run Elite Program Welcomes Five New Athletes to
Their Elite Team" ([Link]
s-to-their-elite-team/). Run Elite Program. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
3. "ROOKS Kenneth" ([Link]
2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
 4. Morrow, Jeff (June 13, 2023). "College Place grad wins NCAA Track and Field title + CBC
coach added to NW hall of fame" ([Link]
[Link]). Tri-City Herald. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
5. Morrow, Jeff (June 13, 2023). "College Place grad wins NCAA Track and Field title + CBC
coach added to NW hall of fame" ([Link]
[Link]). Tri-City Herald. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
6. "Kenneth Rooks - Men's Track & Field 2023" ([Link]
d-field/roster/season/2023/player/kenneth-rooks-steeplechase-champion-track). BYU
Athletics - Official Athletics Website - BYU Cougars. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
7. Toone, Trent (June 12, 2023). "Latter-day Saint returned missionary Kenneth Rooks wins
NCAA championship in steeplechase" ([Link]
2/23758166/kenneth-rooks-wins-ncaa-championship-steeplechase-byu-texas-lds-returned-
missionary-uganda). The Church News. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
8. "NCAA Track: BYU's Rooks runs to title in steeplechase" ([Link]
s/2023/jun/10/byus-rooks-runs-to-ncaa-title-in-5000-meters/). Daily Herald. June 10, 2023.
Retrieved July 9, 2023.
9. Robinson, Doug (June 10, 2023). "BYU's Kenneth Rooks wins steeplechase in NCAA
championships showdown" ([Link]
ks-wins-steeplechase-ncaa-championships). [Link]. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
10. "Men's Steeple: Kenneth Rooks Powers Away to Win with Big Final 600" ([Link]
[Link]/news/2023/06/mens-steeple-kenneth-rooks-powers-away-to-steeple-win/). Lets Run.
June 10, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
11. Battaglia, Joe (June 10, 2023). "Kenneth Rooks Of BYU Wins Men's 3000m Steeplechase
At NCAA Championships" ([Link]
wins-mens-3000m-steeplechase-at-ncaa-championships). [Link]. Retrieved July 9,
2023.
12. "Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone coasts to 400 win at US track and field championships in her
newest event" ([Link]
n-at-us-track-and-field-championships-in-her/article_011bbf58-1abc-586f-9fcd-c21edcb7403
[Link]). The Hamilton Spectator. July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
13. Mack, Gordon (July 9, 2023). "BYU's Kenneth Rooks FALLS In Steeple STILL WINS US
Title!" ([Link]
-us-title). Flotrack.
14. Monti, David (July 9, 2023). "Krissy Gear, Kenneth Rooks surprise with steeplechase titles:
USA Championships" ([Link]
se-usa-championships/). World-Track. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
15. "Men's 3000m Steeplechase Results: World Athletics Championships 2023" ([Link]
[Link]/page/4541/men-s-3000m-steeplechase-results-world-athletics-championshi
ps-2023). Watch Athletics. August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
16. Gault, Jonathan (August 7, 2023). "USATF Announces 2023 World Championship Roster"
([Link]
[Link]. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
17. Payne, Jackson (January 12, 2024). "BYU track and field star Kenneth Rooks turns pro,
signs with Nike" ([Link]
o-nike). Deseret News. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
18. "Results" ([Link] [Link]. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
19. "MEN'S 3000M STEEPLECHASE FINAL RESULTS" ([Link]
sults/athletics/men-s-3000m-steeplechase/fnl-000100--).
20. "Peacock" ([Link]
83f14-8677-3772-84de-b92e8153160a?destinationRailId=d5ef12d8-dc96-11ee-a4ac-f7de12
59a0c1&destinationRailUrl=https%253A%252F%[Link]%252Fb
ff%252Fbrowse%252Fv1%252Frails%252Fd5ef12d8-dc96-11ee-a4ac-f7de1259a0c1%253
Fpage_id%253D641074ba-4bcd-11ec-8cd9-abd6340d9c75%2526mode%253DCONNECT
ED_NAV&groupParent=524a5dd2-4dae-11ef-ac06-3b15ed3edd86). [Link].
Retrieved August 7, 2024.
21. "How going to the Olympics — and in one's case, winning a medal — changed 2 BYU
runners' lives" ([Link]
es-james-corrigan/). [Link]. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.

External links
Kenneth Rooks ([Link]
at World Athletics
Kenneth Rooks ([Link]
yer/kenneth-rooks-steeplechase-champion-track) at BYU Cougars
Kenneth Rooks ([Link] at [Link]
Kenneth Rooks ([Link] at Team USA
Kenneth Rooks ([Link] at [Link]
Kenneth Rooks ([Link] on Instagram

Retrieved from "[Link]