NEW ORLEANS, La. – Winny Koskei paced the women's Shocker team to a team title, while claiming an individual title Thursday morning at the Golf Club at Audubon Park.
 
Redshirt sophomore Winny Koskei won the 2018 American Athletic Conference championship 6K with a time of 21:51.96, 15 seconds faster than second place finisher Svenja Ojstersek of SMU.
 
"Winny looks incredible right now and that race did not look difficult for her at all," said head cross country coach Kirk Hunter "I think Koskei is poised to run even better than she did today. For her to run that fast, in the mud and those conditions is extremely impressive and I'm proud of her."
 
Wichita State women won the team title with 63 points, two points ahead of second place Tulsa. The Shockers placed four athletes in the top-20 including three in the top 15. Rebekah Topham was the second Shocker across the finish line in third place with a time of 22:16.50. Winnie Kibet followed in 15th (23:28.09), Yazmine Wright in 18th (23:32.89) and Rita Schnacker rounded out the scoring in 26th place (23:50.66). Koskei, Topham and Kibet earned all-conference honors, bringing the women's program total to 67 honors.
 
"I told the girls before the race if you get in the top 20 we have a chance to win it, even if our fifth girl is in the top 25 we might be able to win it," said Hunter "In the end Rita Schnacker finished 26th and that made it close."
 

Head Coach Kirk Hunter discusses @GoShockersTFXC's 2018 #AmericanXC Women's Championship with the @American_DN's Paul Boronto! pic.twitter.com/f4A1S3ePL7

— American XC Track (@AmericanXCTrack) October 25, 2018

Koskei became the ninth cross country champion in the women's history and the first to win an individual title in the American Athletic Conference.
 
Wichita State was awarded the American Athletic Conference Women's Staff of the Year, Hunter's first time to receive such an award since he last coached the 2010 team to Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
 
The men's team finished fourth overall with 109 points. The Shockers top four were separated by 18 seconds and all four placed in the top-25. Captain Zack Penrod led the men finishing 17th with a time of 28:29.41, followed by Clayton Duchatschek in 18th (28:31.19), Ben Flowers 21st (28:43.08), Ethan Kossover 22nd (28:47.71) and Pedro Montoya rounded out scoring for the Shockers in 33rd place (29:07.74).
 
"We had an 18 second gap between our top four guys, if we get the five together within 20 seconds they are going to do even more damage in the regional championships," said Hunter "I'm proud of those guys and I thought they did a tremendous job. I know how competitive they are, they want more and they are probably disappointed but I'm not disappointed in them one bit."
 
Both the men and women battled through wet, muddy and humid conditions.
 
"Ethan Kossover lit it up today. By far he had his best race ever at Wichita State and to run that kind of race in these conditions, Ethan saved our men's team and he really did a great job for us."
 
The cross country program will have a week off before they are back in action at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Peoria, Ill., on Friday, Nov. 9.

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Awards
Winny Koskei (All-Conference)
Rebekah Topham (All-Conference)
Winnie Kibet (All-Conference)
Kirk Hunter (Women's Staff of the Year)

Men's Results
17th - Zack Penrod (28:29.41)
18th - Clayton Duchatschek (28:31.19)
21st - Ben Flowers (28:43.08)
22nd - Ethan Kossover (28:47.71)
33rd - Pedro Montoya (29:07.74)
41st - Cory Landon (29:29.88)
42nd - Josh Klein (29:31.85)

Women's Results
1st - Winny Koskei (21:51.96)
3rd - Rebekah Topham (22:16.50)
15th - Winnie Kibet (23:28.09)
18th - Yazmine Wright (23:32.89)
26th - Rita Schnacker (23:50.66)
52nd - Halle Johnson (25:06.70)
55th - Amber Reed (25:10.32)