Tulane Sweeps American Cross Country Championships

Saturday, October 31

New Orleans, LA

9:15 a.m. (W) | 10:00 a.m. (M)

Tulane University

American Conference Cross Country Championships

Results

Photo by: Gregory Guignon

Oct 31, 2026 | Cross Country

Results

By: Wyatt Streett

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane hosted the American Conference Cross Country Championships Saturday morning and dominated at Lake Oaks Park, sweeping both the men's and women's titles. Furthermore, Blezzin Kimutai and Silas Kiptanui claimed the individual women's and men's victories to cap off a clean sweep for the Green Wave.

Tulane becomes the first program in the conference to sweep both team titles and to claim all four conference championships (both team and individual) since Tulsa did so in 2022. The Green Wave women have repeated as champions. This is the third conference title for both programs all-time with all three for the women coming in the last four seasons. For the men, it's the second in the last three seasons.

"I couldn't be prouder to represent Tulane University in the capacity that I do," said director of cross country/track & field Adrian Myers. "When I was hired on, who'd have thought to start the sixth year we would be winning both titles, here in New Orleans? Our men and women showed up today. I couldn't be happier for them and this moment they all share now forever."

The women's 6K started the day off, and Tulane topped the leaderboard with a team score of 32 and a team average of 20.36.0. Tulsa was the runner-up, finishing with 56 points to trail the Wave by 24 points.

After two consecutive seasons finishing as the runner-up, Blezzin Kimutai broke through to claim the conference title with a time of 19:49.8, which checks in as the 10^th-best time in program history. She was one of just two runners to break 20 minutes, joined only by runner-up Kathryn Koonts of Tulsa with her time of 19:57.2. Kimutai's title marks the third individual title for the Wave in the last four seasons.

Kimutai was one of four Tulane runners in the top 10 and one of six in the top 12. Petra Dos Santos finished fifth with a time of 20:36.4. Dorcas Naibei and Haley Harper finished back-to-back in seventh and eighth, respectively. Naibei ran a time of 20:43.9 with Harper posting a mark of 20:49.4. Allison Hall was the final Tulane scorer with a time of 21.00.7 in 11^th. Dana Rojas Vazquez finished just behind in 12^th with a time of 21:02.4 to round out the all-conference performers for the Wave.

Morgan Matthews was 26^th with a mark of 21:51.4. Isabella Ramos placed 30^th with a time of 22:06.4, and Isla Bulmer rounded out the Tulane lineup with a mark of 22:16.4 in 36^th.

The Wave was just as dominant on the men's side, securing a team score of 31 with an average time of 23:55.6 in the 8K. Tulane was 25 points ahead of Tulsa and its 56 points in the runner-up position.

Silas Kiptanui claimed his third individual win of the season and his first individual cross country conference title behind a time of 23:28.7. He was three seconds better than the runner-up, Wichita State's Elkana Kipruto and his time of 23:31.0. Bernard Cheruiyot was third to mark a pair of Wave runners in the top three as he ran a time of 23:36.6. Kiptanui's title is the second individual championship for the Wave in the last three years.

All five Tulane scorers placed in the top 10 with the Wave totaling six all-conference honorees, all finishing in the top 11. Gilbert Rono was eighth with a time of 24:09.9 as the first of four consecutive Tulane runners in the standings. Timothy Kibet followed in ninth with a mark of 24.11.1. Micah Grossman was the final Tulane scorer in 10^th with his time of 24:11.5, and Tommy Rice was 11^th with a mark of 24:12.5.

Paul James Pam placed 19^th with a time of 24:56.6, and Cooper Sorsen ran 24:57.4 to finish 20^th. Rounding out the Wave runners was Conner Wingfield in 40^th with a mark of 25:37.6.

Upon the conclusion of the event, the Tulane coaching staff led by director of cross country/track & field Adrian Myers and assistant coach David Silversmith earned American Staff of the Year recognition on both the men's and women's sides.

"I'm so proud and honored to see the number of alumni dating back to the '70s that showed up today," said Myers. "They are who they are today from the impact of their experience at Tulane. That included an opportunity to compete for the Green Wave just as our young men and women did today. Tradition!"

Postseason action continues in two weeks with the NCAA South Central Regional on Friday, November 13. The meet will be held in College Station, Texas. The Tulane men are the defending regional champions. The NCAA National Championships will then take place on Saturday, November 21, in Terre Haute, Indiana, to conclude the 2026 cross country campaign.

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