Championship Central
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Conference USA will return to John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. for the 2026 Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning. Hosted by Huntsville Sports Commission, the women’s race will kick things off at 9 a.m. CT with the men’s race following at 10 a.m. CT.
On the women’s side, Liberty entered the year as preseason favorites with eight first-place votes. The defending champions will look to continue their reign and become the first women's team in the conference to win three titles in a row since Middle Tennessee (2019-21). The Flames have been led this season by 2025 individual champion and All-American, Allie Zealand. As a squad, Liberty is currently 13th in the USTFCCCA Southeast Regional ranking.
Other teams to look out for that have been making noise in the regional rankings are Middle Tennessee, Jax State, New Mexico State and Delaware. The Blue Raiders have been led this season by freshman Evalyne Wambui, who has collected three top five finishes, including a win at the Memphis Twilight Classic.
Mercy Sergon from Jax State is another expected name in the mix. Sergon has recorded two first-place finishes this season and set a new program 5k record.
Leading the Aggies has been Nia Allison. The junior picked up a first-place finish at the Art Morgan Classic and has also become the first female Aggie to run a sub-20-minute 6k. Last season, she crossed sixth overall and led NM State to a runner-up finish.
Middle Tennessee was voted as the men’s team favorite coming into the year. The Blue Raiders have had a strong regular season, winning two team titles and they even received votes in the week one USTFCCCA Coaches Poll. They currently sit 10th in the highly competitive south regional ranking. Last season, MTSU was crowned CUSA team champions, besting Liberty for the title. The squad will look to repeat its success entering Saturday’s competition.
Junior Allan Kiplagat has been a consistent force for the Blue Raiders, not only this year, but in seasons past as well. He is the two-time reigning individual conference champion and a cross country All American. So far this season, he has claimed two individual titles and a fourth-place finish.
Jax State and NM State are also among the regionally ranked squads to watch for. Standout competitor for the Gamecocks, Shadrack Kipkurgat, will look to continue to shake things up as he has done all season. The freshman has recorded two wins and a second-place finish in the regular season, along with a school 8k record.
For the Aggies, junior Thomas Croshaw is coming off an impressive outing at the Arturo Barrios Invitational where he finished ninth with a program record-setting 8k finish.
Both races will be streamed live on ESPN+. Awards will be held at the conclusion of the men’s race.
After the conference meet, teams will have the opportunity to compete at their respective regional championships. The top two teams from each region will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championship meet, along with the first four additional individual competitors. To complete the championship field, the NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee chooses 14 at-large teams based on regional and season performances. The NCAA Championship will take place on November 21 at the Lavern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind. hosted by Indiana State.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live results can be found here.
ESPN+ Live Stream (Women’s Race): CUSA Cross Country Championship (10/31/26) - Live Stream - Watch ESPN
ESPN+ Live Stream (Men’s Race): CUSA Cross Country Championship (10/31/26) - Live Stream - Watch ESPN