NEW ORLEANS – Tulane captured both the women’s championship 6K and men’s championship 8K during a competitive Saturday morning of racing at the 2026 American Conference Cross Country Championships at Lake Oaks Park. It marked the first time that Tulane swept the races in the same championship meet since joining the American.
The Green Wave scored 32 team points to defend the top spot in the women’s competition, powered by individual champion Blezzin Kimutai who clocked a winning time of 19:49.8. Kimutai had finished as the event runner-up each of the last two seasons. Tulsa was the women’s runner-up with 56 points, with Charlotte (96 points), Wichita State (133 points) and Temple (156 points) rounded out the top five.
Tulsa’s Kathryn Koonts was the individual runner-up, clocking a time of 19:57.2. Other all-conference performers included Wichita State’s Vivien Kipkorir (20:14.6), Tulsa’s Sara Morefield (20:24.8), Tulane’s Petra Dos Santos (20:36.4), UTSA’s Meryeme Mai (20:42.7), Tulane’s Dorcas Naibei (20:43.9) and Haley Harper (20:49.4), Charlotte’s Lily Rogers (20:55.5), Tulsa’s Ava Cornelius (21:00.0, Women’s Freshman of the Year), Tulane’s Allison Hall (21:00.7) and Dana Rojas-Vasquez (21:02.4), Rice’s Alex Gobran (21:02.4), UAB’s Katie Keur (21:04.3) and South Florida’s Malia Hambrick (21:09.2).
The women’s all-freshman team included Tulsa’s Cornelius, South Florida’s Hambrick, Tulsa’s Makaylin Viet, Charlotte’s Stella Nappa and Temple’s Olivia DiGateano.
Tulane captured the men’s 8K race for the second time in the past three seasons, scoring 31 team points. Tulane’s Silas Kiptanui outran defending champion Elkana Kipruto from Wichita State to the finish line with a victorious time of 23:28.7, besting Kipruto’s 21:31.0. Tulsa also claimed second place in the men’s race with 56 points, followed by Wichita State (69 points), Charlotte (137 points) and Temple (138 points) in the top five.
Additional men’s all-conference performers were Tulane’s Bernard Cheruiyot (23:36.6), Wichita State’s Nicholas Kipchirchir (23:44.4), Tulsa’s Luke Birdseye (23:47.0), Wichita State’s Dennis Rono (23:47.7), Tulsa’s Ben Brown (23:59.6), Tulane’s Gilbert Rono (24:09.9), Timothy Kibet (24:11.1), Micah Grossman (24:11.5) and Tommy Rice (24:12.5), UNT’s Connor Bartek (24:19.3), Tulsa’s James Knockton (24:29.4) and Charlie Krasnoff (24:32.5) and UTSA’s Andruw Villa (24:34.8).
The men’s all-freshman team was led by Memphis’ James Mirembe (Men’s Freshman of the Year), Charlotte’s Warner Clark, Temple’s Stephen Keller, UTSA’s Zac Mangum and Florida Atlantic’s Carter Dieterich.
2026 American Conference Women’s Cross Country Standings
| 1 |
Tulane |
32 |
| 2 |
Tulsa |
56 |
| 3 |
Charlotte |
96 |
| 4 |
Wichita State |
133 |
| 5 |
Temple |
156 |
| 6 |
Florida Atlantic |
197 |
| 7 |
UNT |
217 |
| 8 |
Rice |
228 |
| 9 |
UAB |
234 |
| 10 |
South Florida |
248 |
| 11 |
UTSA |
263 |
| 12 |
Memphis |
308 |
| 13 |
East Carolina |
326 |
2026 American Conference Men’s Cross Country Standings
| 1 |
Tulane |
31 |
| 2 |
Tulsa |
56 |
| 3 |
Wichita State |
69 |
| 4 |
Charlotte |
137 |
| 5 |
Temple |
138 |
| 6 |
UNT |
166 |
| 7 |
Rice |
210 |
| 8 |
UTSA |
226 |
| 9 |
Memphis |
242 |
| 10 |
South Florida |
274 |
| 11 |
Florida Atlantic |
316 |
| 12 |
East Carolina |
342 |
2026 American Conference Women’s Cross Country All-Conference
| 1 |
Blezzin Kimutai, TLN |
19:49.8 |
| 2 |
Kathryn Koonts, Tulsa |
19:57.2 |
| 3 |
Vivien Kipkorir, WSU |
20:14.6 |
| 4 |
Sara Morefield, Tulsa |
20:24.8 |
| 5 |
Petra Dos Santos, TLN |
20:36.4 |
| 6 |
Meryeme Mai, UTSA |
20:42.7 |
| 7 |
Dorcas Naibei, TLN |
20:43.9 |
| 8 |
Haley Harper, TLN |
20:49.4 |
| 9 |
Lily Rogers, Charlotte |
20:55.5 |
| 10 |
Ava Cornelius, Tulsa |
21:00.0 |
| 11 |
Allison Hall, TLN |
21:00.7 |
| 12 |
D. Rojas-Vasquez, TLN |
21:02.4 |
| 13 |
Alex Gobran, Rice |
21:02.4 |
| 14 |
Katie Keur, UAB |
21:04.3 |
| 15 |
Malia Hambrick, USF |
21:09.2 |
2026 American Conference Men’s Cross Country All-Conference
| 1 |
Silas Kiptanui, TLN |
23:28.7 |
| 2 |
Elkana Kipruto, WSU |
23:31.0 |
| 3 |
Bernard Cheruiyot, TLN |
23:36.6 |
| 4 |
Nicholas Kipchirchir, WSU |
23:44.4 |
| 5 |
Luke Birdseye, TLS |
23:47.0 |
| 6 |
Dennis Rono, WSU |
23:47.7 |
| 7 |
Ben Brown, TLS |
23:59.6 |
| 8 |
Gilbert Rono, TLN |
24:09.9 |
| 9 |
Timothy Kibet, TLN |
24:11.1 |
| 10 |
Micah Grossman, TLN |
24:11.5 |
| 11 |
Tommy Rice, TLN |
24:12.5 |
| 12 |
Connor Bartek, UNT |
24:19.3 |
| 13 |
James Knockton, TLS |
24:29.4 |
| 14 |
Charlie Krasnoff, TLS |
24:32.5 |
| 15 |
Andruw Villa, UTSA |
24:34.8 |
2026 American Conference Women’s Cross Country All-Freshman Team
|
Ava Cornelius, Tulsa* |
|
|
Malia Hambrick, USF |
|
|
Makaylin Viet, Tulsa |
|
|
Stella Nappa, Charlotte |
|
|
Olivia DiGateano, Temple |
|
2026 American Conference Men’s Cross Country All-Freshman Team
|
James Mirembe, Memphis* |
|
|
Warner Clark, Charlotte |
|
|
Stephen Keller, Temple |
|
|
Zac Mangum, UTSA |
|
|
Carter Dieterich, Florida Atlantic |
|
*- Freshman of the Year