Three Zips Qualify for Nationals at NCAA Great Lakes Regionals

Friday, November 13

East Lansing, Mich.

10 a.m. (Women) / 11 a.m. (Men)

University of Akron

NCAA Great Lakes Regionals

Mercy Jebitok and Megan Hipple became the first Akron women's duo to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships in the same year.

November 13 | Cross Country

By: Noah Tylutki, Associate Director of Athletics Communications

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Three Akron cross country runners punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships based on their performances at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals held at Michigan State's Forest Akers East Golf Course.

MAC champion Mercy Jebitok took fourth in the women's 6K race (20:01.1), while Megan Hipple placed seventh in a time of 20:16.9 to become the first duo in program history to qualify for nationals in the same season. This will also mark Jebitok's second appearance in the NCAA Cross Country Championships, as she qualified last season.

In the men's 10K race, Noah Nyageo became the fifth male qualifier in program history, as he earned a sixth-place finish with a time of 30:18.2.

Titus Kirui notched 23rd (30:43.0) and earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors with his top 25 finish.
Majid Abuaun ran a career-best 32:39.0 that placed him 131^st, while Emil Stanford was not too far behind in 136^th (32:44.3).

Quinn Hopkins (161st, 33:05.8), Brody Bauman (192nd, 33:59.4) and Vincent Lightle (196th, 34:13.4) rounded out the finishers for the Zips, who took 15th out of 31 teams as a squad (454 points).

The women's team placed 11th out of 34 teams with 337 points. Abigael Kiplagat was Akron's third-best finisher, as she placed 86th with a mark of 21:59.8. Kayla Sucharski was 113th (22:20.5), while Kennedy Schlessman took 128th (22:31.0) to round out the Zips' scorers.

Madeline Grant (134th, 22:36.3) and Fiona Battle (210th, 23:52.6) were the other Akron competitors.

Toledo won the Great Lakes Regional title as a team on both sides, marking their first regional crowns in program history.

Up Next
The Akron trio of Jebitok, Hipple and Nyageo will compete at the NCAA Championships next Saturday, November 21 from the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.