HAMPTON, Va. (June 24, 2025) … Capping off a record-setting 2024-25 athletic year, Hampton University track and field standout Peninah Mutisya was named the Hampton University Athlete of the Year on Monday night by the Peninsula Sports Club at its 75^th annual Headliners Night banquet.

A native of Kenya, Mutisya joined the Pirate family and made an instant impact taking second in her first collegiate cross country race at the Spider Open in August. She followed that with top-four finishes in the next four meets with wins at Christopher Newport and East Carolina. Mutisya finished second at the CAA Championships, the highest finish for a Hampton athlete in the CAA.

Her 27^th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional was the highest finish by a CAA athlete and her second-place finish at the CAA Championships was Hampton's highest finish in a conference championship since 2017. Mutisya earned All-CAA honors with her finish at the conference meet.

Mutisya blistered her way into the Hampton University and CAA Record Books during the indoor track season with stellar performances in the 3k and 5k events. She set a school record in the 3k at the Penn State Open running 8:59.10, which ranked her 16^th nationally at that time. During the CAA Championships, she set CAA and CAA Championship records in the 3k (9:16.47) and 5k (15:45.87) to pull two victories. Her time in the 5k also set a Hampton University indoor record.

During the spring season, she set a school record in the 5k outdoor Raleigh Relays in 15:53.09 on March 29.  In the CAA Championships on May 15, she set a school record in the 10k winning in 34:36.35.