IRVING, Texas – American Conference members competed at regional sites across the country on Friday attempting to qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 21. A total of 17 American athletes claimed all-region honors as a top-25 finisher at their respective regional championship meet, while the Tulane men defended the NCAA South Central Regional team title by defeating No. 7 Arkansas by four points.
 
The Green Wave became the first American team to repeat as a regional champion and along with the Tulsa
2022 team are the only regional champions in conference history. All five scorers for Tulane finished in the top 15 to score 44 team points in College Station, led by Silas Kiptanui in fourth place with a time of 29:06.4. Bernard Cheruiyot placed sixth with a time of 29:34.0, Timothy Kibet was ninth with a time of 29:48.6, Micah Grossman was 11th with a time of 30:03.6, Gilbert Rono was 14th with a time of 30:09.5, Tommy Rice was 17th with a time of 30:15.6 and Juan Giron was 19th with a time of 30:19.1.
 
Additional NCAA Championships qualifiers included Tulane’s Blezzin Kimutai, who clocked a women’s 6K time of 19:27.0 at the NCAA South Central Regional to place sixth in the field and punch a ticket to Terre Haute, and Wichita State’s Nicholas Kipchirchir (fourth place, 28:53.4) and Tulsa’s Luke Birdseye (fifth place, 28:54.1) qualified individually based on finishes at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ames, Iowa.

NCAA South Regional – Tallahassee, Florida
 
Women’s 6K

25. Florida Atlantic (703)
128. Teegan Anderson – 22:21.0
138. Gaby Castro – 22:30.0
141. Anabell Reumann – 22:33.7
152. Sophie Dethier – 22:41.1
167. Evie Lebrun – 22:58.5
206. Morgan Pennington – 24:05.9
DNF. Kate Drummond – NT
 
NTS. UAB
106. Katie Keur – 21:50.6
 
NTS. Memphis
146. Reese McDevitt – 22:36.1
181. Jasmine Williams – 23:20.1
183 – Brooke Doyle – 23:23.6
 
Men’s 10K
 
NTS. Florida Atlantic
144. Carter Dieterich – 34:21.6
151. Timothy Brannon – 34:43.4
161. Noah Highsmith – 35.54.5
162. Noah Curfman – 35:56.7
 
NTS. Memphis
80. Robert Randall - 31:55.3
 
NCAA South Central Regional – College Station, Texas
 
Women’s 6K
 
4. Tulane (115)
6. Blezzin Kimutai – 19:27.0* (NCAA Championships Qualifier)
16. Dorcas Naibei – 20:01.5*
26. Haley Harper – 20:17.4
30. Dana Rojas Vazquez – 20:24.0
37. Alex Sharp – 20:36.9
52. Allison Hall – 20:51.7
59. Isabella Ramos – 20:59.2
 
20. Rice (493)
15. Alex Gobran – 19:58.9*
104. Oliwia Kopec – 21:46.6
132. Katherine McNulty – 22:26.5
136. Isabella Leyton – 22:29.5
138. Niamh Collins – 22:34.5
139. Brooklyn Crow – 23:36.2
DNF. Emma Rohrbach – NT
 
23. UTSA (563)
22. Meryeme Mai – 20:10.6*
105. Kira Albino – 21:48.2
150. Cadence Harris – 22:51.1
154. Anastacia Garza – 22:54.9
166. Isabel Burke – 23:50.4
170. Haley Hill – 24:11.2
172. Alexia Rosas – 24:19.6
 
NTS. UNT
45. Aubrey Milam – 20:44.9
97. Aditi Silwal – 21:42.5
118. Ava Thompson – 22:08.4
134. Ella Bengtsson – 22:28.6
 
Men’s 10K
 
1. Tulane (44) (REGIONAL CHAMPION, NCAA Championships Qualifier)
4. Silas Kiptanui – 29:06.4*
6. Bernard Cheruiyot – 29:34.0*
9. Timothy Kibet – 29:48.6*
11. Micah Grossman – 30:03.6*
14. Gilbert Rono – 30:09.5*
17. Tommy Rice – 30:15.6*
19. Juan Giron – 30:19.1*
 
10. Rice (291)
32. Gus Gannon – 30:50.4
56. Brandon Martz – 31:30.5
61. Ben Pearce – 31:37.2
77. Victor Aviles – 31:59.0
86. Ben Tjierina – 32:10.6
128. Matthew Gaitan – 34:00.0
138. Evan Ringwald – 35:02.8
 
13. UTSA (379)
7. Andruw Villa – 29:35.1*
81. Ethan Carranza – 32.02.0
92. Zac Mangum – 32:19.7
107. Austin Lyda – 32:48.4
119. Thomas Tamayo – 33:35.8
132. Murff McLaughlin – 34:20.8
142. Matthew Cato – 35:37.5
 
16. UNT (420)
40. Connor Bartek – 31:10.6
66. Hunter Hendry – 31:42.1
100. Joseph Wienen – 32:41.1
104. AJ Hawkins – 32:46.9
143. Landin Wolfe – 35:48.6
 
NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
 
Women’s 6K
 
21. Temple (562)
42. Olivia Digateano - 20:56.1
80. Maria Estevez-Vasquez - 21:27.3
103. Rian Johnson - 21:44.9
167. Audrey Wychulis - 22:47.5
177. Dagny Shiffler - 23:00.8
184. Emilie Creighton – 23:18.3
185. Mia Rasca – 23:18.4
 
Men’s 10K
 
12. Temple (316)
28. Noe Sengel - 30:38.8
40. Kasem Kaheal – 30:59.4
69. Francesco Candiani – 31:20.7
91. Aiden Maue – 31:52.3
93. Myles Munro – 31:52.8
118. Xavier May – 32:15.5
137. Stephen Keller – 32:32.9
 
NCAA Southeast Regional – Spartanburg, South Carolina
 
Women’s 6K
 
16. Charlotte (523)
93. Lily Rogers – 21:29.9
99. Mia Bateson – 21:37.3
103. Emily Myers – 21:38.9
112. Stella Nappa – 21:48.0
118. Natalia Martin – 21:54.0
148. Lizzy Weltz – 22:20.7
154. Hilaree Vega – 22:22.9
 
Men’s 10K
 
15. Charlotte (420)
78. Connor Tyrrell – 30:46.7
79. Elijah Jones – 30:48.5
81. Daniel Kelmer – 30:50.0
84. Andre Michaels – 30:53.0
111. Zak Freeland – 31:22.6
124. Harper Clark – 31:35.9
126. Warner Clark – 31:39.1
 
NCAA Midwest Regional – Ames, Iowa
 
Women’s 6K
 
14. Tulsa (396)
22. Sara Morefield – 20:00.1*
26. Kathryn Koonts – 20:08.1
79. Ava Cornelius – 20:56.3
118. Jordyn Cleary – 21:29.1
153. Makaylin Viet – 21:55.7
167. Sylvia Schwedler – 22:05.4
200. Sam Schmersahl – 22:55.0
 
24. Wichita State (600)
14. Vivien Kipkorir – 19:47.7*
82. Mercy Jepkoech – 20:58.3
155. Francesca Alvarado – 21:56.1
161. Irene Andujar – 22:01.3
192. Kalyn Willingham – 22:31.7
197. Isabelle Hartnett – 22:47.3
228. Jordyn Picolet – 23:59.5
 
Men’s 10K
 
3. Wichita State (132)
4. Nicholas Kipchirchir – 28:53.4* (NCAA Championship Qualifier)
10. Elkana Kipruto – 28:57.8*
28. Dennis Rono – 29:31.6
44. Austin Carrera – 29:57.6
49. Kelvin Kipyego – 30:01.8
101. Greyson Ellensohn – 30:54.3
145. Bennett Meoli – 31:39.1
 
6. Tulsa (189)
5. Luke Birdseye – 28:54.1* (NCAA Championship Qualifier)
22. Ben Brown – 29:23.4*
51. James Knockton – 30:02.6
54. Charlie Krasnoff – 30:08.9
62. Joseph Stoddard – 30:16.6
78. Brady Korsmo – 30:28.2
96. Graham Stevener – 30:47.4

*-All-Region performer