Middle Tennessee Sweeps Conference USA Cross Country
Middle Tennessee's men and women both won their team titles at the Conference USA championship in Huntsville, Alabama.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Track & Field
Middle Tennessee won the men's and women's team championships at the Conference USA Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, held at the John Hunt Park Cross Country Course in Huntsville, Alabama. The sweep marks the fourth time the program has swept the team leaderboards since joining the league.
Why it matters
The title sweep strengthens Middle Tennessee's position heading into the regional round, where the top two teams from each region automatically qualify for the NCAA championship meet. For Tennessee readers, it is a notable showing by a state program on the national cross country stage.
Evalyne Wambui's 19:25.2 women's race time beat the 2001 conference record set by Gladys Keitany of TCU by nearly 20 seconds. Shadrack Kipkurgat of Jax State won the men's individual title in 23:21.6.
The players
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
Middle Tennessee State University is a public university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, whose cross country program won both team titles at the Conference USA championship.
Evalyne Wambui
Evalyne Wambui is a distance runner from MTSU who won the women's race in a conference-record time of 19:25.2.
Shadrack Kipkurgat
Shadrack Kipkurgat is a distance runner from Jacksonville State who won the men's individual title with a time of 23:21.6.
The details
Middle Tennessee's women finished with 25 points, holding a 40-point margin of victory over Liberty, while the men finished with 31 points to hold off runner-up Jax State, which scored 56. The sweep of the team leaderboards is the program's fourth since joining the league and its first since the 2023 season.
Timeline
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026: Conference USA Cross Country Championship held in Huntsville, Alabama.
Friday, Nov. 13: Regional cross country championships.
Saturday, Nov. 14: Selection show for at-large NCAA qualifiers.
Saturday, Nov. 21: 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Season Trajectory
The sweep repeats Middle Tennessee's 2023 team-leaderboard sweep, the program's fourth since joining the league, and sets up a regional round where the top two teams from each region advance automatically to the NCAA championship meet. Its strong showing positions the Blue Raiders to compete for an NCAA berth heading into the November postseason.
Only the top two teams from each regional automatically qualify for the NCAA championship meet, so Middle Tennessee's regional result on Nov. 13 will determine whether it advances directly. Fans following the sport can track the at-large selections on Nov. 14 to see whether the program earns a berth through the selection process instead.
The takeaway
Middle Tennessee's repeated team sweeps show the program's consistency across the cross country calendar. Readers following the season should watch the regional and at-large selection process, since both determine who reaches the NCAA meet in Terre Haute.
What happens next
The regional cross country championships take place Friday, Nov. 13, and the NCAA selection show follows on Saturday, Nov. 14, when 14 at-large teams will be named.
Further reading
For more on the season's top meets, see Track & Field coverage across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Main Street Media of Tennessee -.
