Photo by: Kevan Albright
ACU Cross Country Enters UAC with High Hopes
8/27/2026 1:00:00 PM | Cross Country
The Abilene Christian cross country teams have high hopes in a league with a reworked membership. The Wildcats have been picked to finish in the middle-of-the-pack of the UAC men's and women's preseason polls as voted upon by the conference's head coaches.
The Abilene Christian men will be returning five of their top-8 finishers in the final WAC Cross Country Championship: Vincent Luffey (27th), Mark Barajas (33rd), Austin Roberts (47th), Benjamin Castro (51st) and Matthew Engle (54th). The ACU women will also have five of their top-8 finishers back from year: Hannah Kasper (35th), Saylor Stevenson (40th), Audrey Chitwood (47th), Madison Anderson (48th), and Alyssa Quinones (53rd).
To no one's surprise, Eastern Kentucky was unanimously picked atop both the men's and women's polls. The EKU men received eight of the nine first place votes after they won the ASUN conference last year and finished 9th in the NCAA Division I Championship last November. Two of the EKU runners received the All-American accolade – Brian Kimutai (21st) and Taha El Raouy (30th). Both return this season to run for EKU. El Raouy, the ASUN champion for EKU, is picked as the Preseason Men's Runner of the Year. Picked to finish as runner-up for the men is UTA. The ACU men are picked to finish in 5th.
EKU is also picked to win it all in the women's team race gathering eight of the first-place votes, with ACU picking up the other first place vote. The EKU women finished 2nd last year at the ASUN Champion behind Lipscomb. This year's Preseason Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year is Edna Chelulei, who finished 4th last year at the ASUN meet, before finishing 63rd at the NCAA Division I Championship. Following EKU in the poll is 2nd place UT Arlington, then Central Arkansas, and ACU is picked to finish fourth after a 6th place finish in the WAC meet last year.
The Wildcats open the 2026 season with their lone home meet, the Naimadu Classic, on Friday, Sept. 4.
The Abilene Christian men will be returning five of their top-8 finishers in the final WAC Cross Country Championship: Vincent Luffey (27th), Mark Barajas (33rd), Austin Roberts (47th), Benjamin Castro (51st) and Matthew Engle (54th). The ACU women will also have five of their top-8 finishers back from year: Hannah Kasper (35th), Saylor Stevenson (40th), Audrey Chitwood (47th), Madison Anderson (48th), and Alyssa Quinones (53rd).
To no one's surprise, Eastern Kentucky was unanimously picked atop both the men's and women's polls. The EKU men received eight of the nine first place votes after they won the ASUN conference last year and finished 9th in the NCAA Division I Championship last November. Two of the EKU runners received the All-American accolade – Brian Kimutai (21st) and Taha El Raouy (30th). Both return this season to run for EKU. El Raouy, the ASUN champion for EKU, is picked as the Preseason Men's Runner of the Year. Picked to finish as runner-up for the men is UTA. The ACU men are picked to finish in 5th.
EKU is also picked to win it all in the women's team race gathering eight of the first-place votes, with ACU picking up the other first place vote. The EKU women finished 2nd last year at the ASUN Champion behind Lipscomb. This year's Preseason Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year is Edna Chelulei, who finished 4th last year at the ASUN meet, before finishing 63rd at the NCAA Division I Championship. Following EKU in the poll is 2nd place UT Arlington, then Central Arkansas, and ACU is picked to finish fourth after a 6th place finish in the WAC meet last year.
The Wildcats open the 2026 season with their lone home meet, the Naimadu Classic, on Friday, Sept. 4.
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