AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday, Nov. 1
Clapp Cross Country Course | Wichita, Kan.
ESPN+

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WICHITA – The Wichita State men's and women's cross country teams will toe the line on their home course for the American Athletic Conference Championships Friday afternoon at L.W. Clapp Park.
 
The women's 6K race begins at 4:05 p.m. with the men's 8K following at 4:50 p.m. The races will be live streamed on ESPN+ with live results available at AthleticLIVE.
 
Wichita State returns four former all-conference performers to its 2024 roster in Sarah Bertry (13^th; 2022), Adrian Diaz Lopez (9^th; 2022), Miranda Dick (7^th; 2023) and Lucy Ndungu (2^nd; 2023). At the 2023 AAC Championships the Wichita State men placed fourth out of 12 teams, and the women took fifth out of 14.
 
Reigning AAC Men's Athlete of the Week, Yared Kidane, has claimed two top-five finishes this season, finishing third at the JK Gold Classic and fifth at the Bradley Pink Classic, running his fastest 8K in 23:58.0 at Bradley. Diaz Lopez has only completed one race this season, taking 41^st at the Bradley Pink Classic with a time of 24:32.3 but holds an 8K personal best of 24:03.9.
 
Ndungu has yet to race this season, but senior Bertry has stepped up as the top Shocker in each meet for the women. Her best time of the season came at the Gans Creek Classic when she ran a personal-best 21:13.9 in the 6K.
 
The Tulsa and Tulane men are both receiving votes in the most recent USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll.
 
Seven AAC men's teams, including the Shockers, are featured in the USTFCCCA regional rankings: Tulane - South Central No. 2, Tulsa - Midwest No. 4, Charlotte - Southeast No. 7, North Texas - South Central No. 10, Rice - South Central No. 12, Temple - Mid-Atlantic No. 14, and Wichita State - Midwest No. 15.
 
The Golden Hurricane have won the last 10-straight AAC Men's Cross Country Championships.
 
Tulane's Bernard Cheruiyot has run the fastest 8K time in the conference so far this season, clocking a 22:50.40 at the Texas A&M Invitational.
 
Five AAC women's teams are ranked in the USTFCCCA regional rankings: Tulane - South Central No. 4, Rice - South Central No. 8, Tulsa - Midwest No. 10, North Texas - South Central No. 10, and Charlotte - Southeast No. 13.
 
The Green Wave are the reigning AAC Women's Champions and look to be the favorite to win it again, but Rice and Tulsa will give them a challenge for the top spot.
 
Tulane's Caroline Jeptanui holds the fastest 6K time of the season by far, running 19:04.85 at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational.
 
Wichita State has never won a men's team or individual AAC Championship, but the Shocker women claimed the 2018 AAC team title, as well as four of the seven possible individual titles since joining The American in 2017. Winny Koskei won three-consecutive titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and Yazmine Wright won the 2021 individual title for the Shockers. Clayton Duchatschek recorded the best AAC men's individual finish in Shocker history in 2022 when he placed fifth.
 
Head coach Kirk Hunter was named the AAC Women's Coach of the Year in 2018 and has recorded three top-three women's team finishes.
 
The Shocker men have placed top five as a team in all seven championship races with back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022.