University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, October 30
Columbia, Mo.
University of Tennessee
at
SEC Championships
October 29, 2026 | Cross Country
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Tennessee men's and women's cross country program will open up the 2026 postseason Friday morning in Columbia, Missouri, at the 2026 SEC Cross Country Championships. The conference meet will begin at 11 a.m. ET from the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
Coverage on SEC Network will begin at 11 a.m. ET, and the women's championship 6,000-meter will start at 11:08 a.m. Following the women's race, the men's championship 8,000-meter is slated for 11:45 a.m.
Live results will be provided throughout the meet via PrimeTime Timing.
LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee cross country delivered a pair of strong performances at the Nuttycombe Invitational, with the No. 22 Volunteer men placing 12th in a 35-team field and the Lady Vols finishing 19th out of 33 programs at Wisconsin's Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
The Vols totaled 389 points in the championship 8k, finishing ahead of 11 nationally ranked or receiving-votes teams. Sophomore Nelson Mapi Setek led Tennessee for the second consecutive meet, placing 11th in a college-best 22:47.1. Junior Zouhair Redouane followed in 12th at 22:49.7, giving the Big Orange a pair of top-15 finishers. Sophomore Victor Kipkoech added a 46th-place finish in 23:27.5.
On the women's side, Tennessee recorded 491 points, finishing ahead of No. 30 Boise State and receiving-votes Michigan State. Sophomore Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka paced the Lady Vols with an eighth-place finish in 19:24.4, securing a top-10 result against a nationally competitive field. Freshman Faith Chepchumba placed 57th in 20:25.5, while senior Summer Schuster and junior Tula Fawbush finished 132nd and 134th, respectively. Freshman Payton Meineke rounded out Tennessee's scoring five with a college-best time of 21:16.1.
RANKED SEC TEAMS: Eight SEC teams enter the SEC Championships listed among the nation's top-25 teams according to the most recent USTFCCCA rankings release. In the men's rankings, Alabama is ranked No. 4, Arkansas is No. 7, Florida is No. 9 and Tennessee is No. 18. Four SEC women's programs are ranked in the top-25: Florida at No. 4, Alabama at No. 9, South Carolina at No. 11 and Missouri at No. 17.
UP NEXT: Two weeks after the conference meet, Tennessee will travel to Tallahassee, Florida, for the 2026 NCAA South Region Championships on Friday, Nov. 13.
Coverage on SEC Network will begin at 11 a.m. ET, and the women's championship 6,000-meter will start at 11:08 a.m. Following the women's race, the men's championship 8,000-meter is slated for 11:45 a.m.
Live results will be provided throughout the meet via PrimeTime Timing.
LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee cross country delivered a pair of strong performances at the Nuttycombe Invitational, with the No. 22 Volunteer men placing 12th in a 35-team field and the Lady Vols finishing 19th out of 33 programs at Wisconsin's Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
The Vols totaled 389 points in the championship 8k, finishing ahead of 11 nationally ranked or receiving-votes teams. Sophomore Nelson Mapi Setek led Tennessee for the second consecutive meet, placing 11th in a college-best 22:47.1. Junior Zouhair Redouane followed in 12th at 22:49.7, giving the Big Orange a pair of top-15 finishers. Sophomore Victor Kipkoech added a 46th-place finish in 23:27.5.
On the women's side, Tennessee recorded 491 points, finishing ahead of No. 30 Boise State and receiving-votes Michigan State. Sophomore Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka paced the Lady Vols with an eighth-place finish in 19:24.4, securing a top-10 result against a nationally competitive field. Freshman Faith Chepchumba placed 57th in 20:25.5, while senior Summer Schuster and junior Tula Fawbush finished 132nd and 134th, respectively. Freshman Payton Meineke rounded out Tennessee's scoring five with a college-best time of 21:16.1.
RANKED SEC TEAMS: Eight SEC teams enter the SEC Championships listed among the nation's top-25 teams according to the most recent USTFCCCA rankings release. In the men's rankings, Alabama is ranked No. 4, Arkansas is No. 7, Florida is No. 9 and Tennessee is No. 18. Four SEC women's programs are ranked in the top-25: Florida at No. 4, Alabama at No. 9, South Carolina at No. 11 and Missouri at No. 17.
UP NEXT: Two weeks after the conference meet, Tennessee will travel to Tallahassee, Florida, for the 2026 NCAA South Region Championships on Friday, Nov. 13.
Players Mentioned
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross Country
XC/Distance
/ Cross CountrySaturday, November 30
Saturday, November 23
Friday, November 15
Friday, November 01
