HAMMOND, La. - Sophomore
Irene Rono Sunday won the 2020-21 Southland Conference Cross Country Championship, completing the 6K course around the Southeastern Louisiana campus in 20:36.52. She will next represent ACU and the conference at the NCAA Championships on Monday, March 15 in Stillwater, Okla.
Rono, who has won four consecutive races dating back to October, is the Wildcats' third individual champion since Abilene Christian rejoined the Southland in 2013, joining two-time champion Alexandria Hackett who won her titles in 2015 (Huntsville, Texas) and 2017 (Abilene, Texas).
Hackett and her twin sister, Michaela, were the most recent Wildcats to compete at NCAAs back in 2017.
Rono's time was 10 seconds ahead of runner-up and 2019 champion Arina Kleshchukova of New Orleans (20:46.93), while third-place honors went to Valentina Campos of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (20:48.50).
Team honors, however, went to defending champion Central Arkansas, which finished with 86 points despite not having a single runner place among the top five. The Bears were led by sixth-place runner Tamara Reeves (21:06.94) and had two other runners finish among the top 15 to edge the Wildcats (89 points) for the team title by three points. ACU's point total was down 10 points from the 2019 meet in Conway, Ark., where they placed fourth.
Stephen F. Austin placed third in the team standings with 96 points, while the rest of the 12-team field all scored 100 or more points.
Following Rono to the finish line were teammates
Briahna Gerlach (14th, 21:49.98),
Grace White (21st, 22:14.20),
Sarah Wagler (24th, 22:21.14),
Hannah Marut (29th, 22:38.81),
Ariana Trevino (45th, 23:15.49) and
Sophia Castro (68th, 25:26.55).
ACU's men's team placed eighth with 200 points. Sophomore
Maxwel Kiplagat was the Wildcats' lead runner with a 24th-place 8K time of 24:59.73. Coming in behind him were
Kevin Kipkosgei (37th, 25:29.40),
Levi Chambers (39th, 25:32.83),
Denis Lagat (41st, 25:37.70),
Cooper Goggans (59th, 26:30.87),
Gabe Trevino (74th, 27:50.27) and
Conner Miller (75th, 28:23.75).
Host Southeastern Louisiana won the men's title with 35 points led by its gold medalist Shea Foster (22:41.16).
