PERSONAL BESTS

2021-22

2022 Track
Ran in six meets on the season... Earned All-WAC First Team honors in with a third-place finish at the 1500 meter (3:49.16) at the conference meet... Clocked a top-10 time in CBU history in the 3K (8:14.60) at the RCC Invite... Made the team's individual top 10 in the 1500 (3:48.31) at the Bryan Clay Invite, the 5K (14:09.05) at the Fresno State Invite and 10K (29:50.89) at the Ben Brown Invite... Qualified for WAC All-Academic honors.  
 

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CBU places 3?? in the top 4?? of the men’s 1500 meter. Giedrius Valincius takes second (3:48.59), Rikus Van Niekerk places third (3:49.16) and Said Mechaal comes in fourth (3:50.10). #LanceUp?? pic.twitter.com/nEPJiFEb7J

— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) May 14, 2022

2021 Cross Country
Ran in five meets on the season and scored three times for CBU... Secured All-WAC Second Team honors with a 13th-place finish at the conference meet (24:23.8)... Logged a top-25 time in CBU's 8K history at the UC Riverside Invitational (24:16.6), which earned him a 14th-place finish... Took fourth at the Anteater Open (18:48.1, 6K)... Qualified for WAC All-Academic honors.
 

2020-21

2021 Track
Ran in three meets and two events on the season... Recorded season-best times of 4:03.06 in the 1500m and 14:34.75 in the 5K... Took seventh in the 5K (14:54.22) and also ran in the 4x400m relay at the WAC Championships... Qualified for the WAC All-Academic Team.

2020 Cross Country
Ran in all four meets on the season... Secured All-WAC Second Team honors with a ninth-place finish at the conference meet (25:01.70)... Clocked a season-best 8K time of 24:40.1 to take 20th place at the Dixie State Invitational, which was a top-21 individual time in CBU history... Qualified for the WAC All-Academic Team.
 

A total of 14 Lancers earned All @WACsports honors today. Here's a look at who made the all-conference second team with top-14 finishes.#LanceUp?? pic.twitter.com/c7FAMKGNil

— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) February 27, 2021

2019-20

2020 Track
Ran the 3K in both meets during the shortened season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic... Clocked a season-best 8:40.43 in the 3K at the Collegiate All-Comers Meet... Took ninth in the 3K (8:45.72) at the RCC Invitational.

2019 Cross Country
Did not compete.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Die Hoërskool Menlopark in in Pretoria, South Africa, where he graduated in 2019... Won South Africa's National Championship in the 5000 meter in 2019... Served as cross country team captain three seasons (2017-19) and was also track captain in 2019. 

PERSONAL

Son of Ansunette and Kobus van Niekerk... Has one sibling, Wian van Niekerk... Mechanical engineering major... 1 Corinthians 13 is his favorite Bible passage.
 

Welcome to CBU, Rikus van Niekerk! Rikus has run 8:29 for 3000m and is the 2019 South African U20 Champion in the 5000m running 14:50. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/k2F0UtkEj8

— CBU XC & Track (@CBUXCTF) May 16, 2019