Friday, October 31
Natchitoches, LA
8:32 A.M.
Stephen F. Austin
at
SLC Championship
Photo by: Jordan Segelken
All ‘Jacks: SFA Runs to Clean Sweep of Southland Conference XC Titles
10/31/2025 12:22:00 PM | General, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
SFA women surge past A&M-Corpus Christi; Lumberjack men finish 1-2-3 in historic effort
NATCHITOCHES, La. – It was all Stephen F. Austin across state lines on Friday as the Lumberjacks claimed the men's and women's Southland Conference XC titles in impressive fashion staking claim to plenty of hardware all before the tenth hour commenced on Halloween morning in Natchitoches.
Behind the efforts of five All-SLC performers, the SFA women raced by Texas A&M Corpus Christi edging the Islanders by three points as the 'Jacks used a second overall performance, two additional top six efforts and the 11th and 12th place finishers to top TAMUCC's 13th place finisher as Lamar's top runner finished seventh and UTRGV placed runners in eighth and ninth place.
Valentine Jemutai's first-team runner-up effort was in 20:17.90, while Sharon Omwoyo blitzed to a sub-21 time of 20:55.60 and a fifth-place finish. Mercy Kipchumba was less than two seconds behind Omwoyo in sixth place as the 'Jacks and Islanders combined for three runners each in the top six.
The finishes of Trude Lamb in 11th (21:40.40) and Garance Dubray in 12th (21:41.90) secured the title as the 'Jacks crossed five runners, all in the top 12, before TAMUCC put across its fourth. Lizi McGuire logged a top 20 placement in 17th with a time of 22:02.20 and Keara Zver finished 28th in 22:35.50 as SFA's top seven all crossed inside the 86-runner field's top 30. Graycee Wilson recorded a time of 23:22.90 (48th) and Landry Perkin posted a finish of 24:24.70 (67th).
It was a historic effort by the SFA men who recorded the lowest team score at the SLC Championship since 1965 and the second lowest ever in the SLC's title race. The 'Jacks beat TAMUCC by 32 points and Incarnate Word by 47 points.
Nearly effortlessly, Nathan Kapel won the individual title in 22:54.80, teammate Paul Kiprotich was second in 22:55.40 and Riley Elliott placed third in 23:01.10 to sweep the podium. Ryan Binskin added to the dominant effort from the Lumberjack men with a sixth place showing in 23:23.80. Just over ten seconds back was Sam Golla who completed a five-runner top ten by the 'Jacks with an eighth-place finish in 23:34.60.
Lathan Lewter grabbed an All-SLC second team medal with an 11th place result of 23:39.60. Japhet Kimei ran to a 16th place showing in 23:44.40. Zach McPhee recorded a top 25 finish in 24:04.80, while Andrew Mullen (24:26.40) and Wyatt Hoover (24:32.80) placed 33rd and 34th, respectively as all ten SFA runners crossed in the top 35 of the 99-runner field.
HONOREES
SLC Women's XC Coach of the Year: Robert Hansen
Women's All-SLC First Team: Valentine Jemutai, Sharon Omwoyo, Mercy Kipchumba
Women's All-SLC Second Team: Trude Lamb, Garance Dubray
SLC Men's XC Coach of the Year: Robert Hansen
SLC Men's Athlete of the Year: Nathan Kapel
SLC Men's Newcomer of the Year: Nathan Kapel
SLC Men's Freshman of the Year: Sam Golla
Men's All-SLC First Team: Nathan Kapel, Paul Kiprotich, Riley Elliott, Ryan Binskin
Men's All-SLC Second Team: Sam Golla, Lathan Lewter
OF NOTE
The 'Jacks prepare for a second trip to Northwest Arkansas as the Razorbacks host the NCAA South Central Regional Championship on November 14. Both squads fared well in their first trip to Fayetteville for the Chile Pepper Festival on October 4. Both teams produced program-best team finishes with the SFA women earning a third-place result among 29 teams, while the SFA men ran to a fourth-place finish among 30 teams. Live results will be made available at www.sfajacks.com.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA XC, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Behind the efforts of five All-SLC performers, the SFA women raced by Texas A&M Corpus Christi edging the Islanders by three points as the 'Jacks used a second overall performance, two additional top six efforts and the 11th and 12th place finishers to top TAMUCC's 13th place finisher as Lamar's top runner finished seventh and UTRGV placed runners in eighth and ninth place.
Valentine Jemutai's first-team runner-up effort was in 20:17.90, while Sharon Omwoyo blitzed to a sub-21 time of 20:55.60 and a fifth-place finish. Mercy Kipchumba was less than two seconds behind Omwoyo in sixth place as the 'Jacks and Islanders combined for three runners each in the top six.
The finishes of Trude Lamb in 11th (21:40.40) and Garance Dubray in 12th (21:41.90) secured the title as the 'Jacks crossed five runners, all in the top 12, before TAMUCC put across its fourth. Lizi McGuire logged a top 20 placement in 17th with a time of 22:02.20 and Keara Zver finished 28th in 22:35.50 as SFA's top seven all crossed inside the 86-runner field's top 30. Graycee Wilson recorded a time of 23:22.90 (48th) and Landry Perkin posted a finish of 24:24.70 (67th).
Running towards history!
— SFA T&F/XC (@SFA_TFXC) October 31, 2025
?? First team title win since 2016
?? 9th team title overall #AxeEm pic.twitter.com/U0Gto9Jag9
It was a historic effort by the SFA men who recorded the lowest team score at the SLC Championship since 1965 and the second lowest ever in the SLC's title race. The 'Jacks beat TAMUCC by 32 points and Incarnate Word by 47 points.
Nearly effortlessly, Nathan Kapel won the individual title in 22:54.80, teammate Paul Kiprotich was second in 22:55.40 and Riley Elliott placed third in 23:01.10 to sweep the podium. Ryan Binskin added to the dominant effort from the Lumberjack men with a sixth place showing in 23:23.80. Just over ten seconds back was Sam Golla who completed a five-runner top ten by the 'Jacks with an eighth-place finish in 23:34.60.
Lathan Lewter grabbed an All-SLC second team medal with an 11th place result of 23:39.60. Japhet Kimei ran to a 16th place showing in 23:44.40. Zach McPhee recorded a top 25 finish in 24:04.80, while Andrew Mullen (24:26.40) and Wyatt Hoover (24:32.80) placed 33rd and 34th, respectively as all ten SFA runners crossed in the top 35 of the 99-runner field.
From start to finish: DOMINATION
— SFA T&F/XC (@SFA_TFXC) October 31, 2025
?? First team title since 2005
?? 6th team title overall#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/jntRJdgq0v
HONOREES
SLC Women's XC Coach of the Year: Robert Hansen
Women's All-SLC First Team: Valentine Jemutai, Sharon Omwoyo, Mercy Kipchumba
Women's All-SLC Second Team: Trude Lamb, Garance Dubray
SLC Men's XC Coach of the Year: Robert Hansen
SLC Men's Athlete of the Year: Nathan Kapel
SLC Men's Newcomer of the Year: Nathan Kapel
SLC Men's Freshman of the Year: Sam Golla
Men's All-SLC First Team: Nathan Kapel, Paul Kiprotich, Riley Elliott, Ryan Binskin
Men's All-SLC Second Team: Sam Golla, Lathan Lewter
OF NOTE
- The 'Jacks' title sweep marked the first in the Southland Conference since Lamar won both races in 2014
- SFA saw its male and female teams win titles in the same season for the first time since 2003
- The SFA women won the program's ninth SLC title, the most of any SLC team, and first since 2016
- The SFA men captured their sixth SLC title and first since 2005
- The SFA men's 20-point team total is the second lowest in Southland Conference history and the lowest since 1965 (Abilene Christian, 19)
- Kapel becomes the sixth SFA male runner to claim an individual title and the sixth to win athlete of the year; it's SFA's second straight after Elkana Kipruto won the race and the honor last fall
- Kapel is the second SFA runner to win SLC Newcomer of the Year (Charles Mathenge, 2014)
- Golla is the sixth Lumberjack freshman to be the top rookie finisher at the SLC Championships and the second straight after Kipruto claimed the honor last season
- Hansen is the third different SFA men's XC head coach to claim coach of the year honors and the first since 2005
- Hansen is the sixth different SFA women's XC head coach to win coach of the year plaudits and the first since 2016
- Hansen is the third SFA XC head coach to grab both coach of the year honors in the same season since Lou Snelling in 2003
The 'Jacks prepare for a second trip to Northwest Arkansas as the Razorbacks host the NCAA South Central Regional Championship on November 14. Both squads fared well in their first trip to Fayetteville for the Chile Pepper Festival on October 4. Both teams produced program-best team finishes with the SFA women earning a third-place result among 29 teams, while the SFA men ran to a fourth-place finish among 30 teams. Live results will be made available at www.sfajacks.com.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA XC, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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