Men's Cross Country | 10/7/2026 3:09:48 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – Howard’s Ester Kirk and Norfolk State’s Clinton Kipruto earned MEAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors following strong performances at the Paul Short Run.
 
Ester Kirk | Howard | Jr. | Morristown, N.J.
Ester Kirk led Howard at the Paul Short Run, finishing the Women’s College Gold 6K in 22:43.20.
 
Clinton Kipruto | Norfolk State | Fr. | Kapsabet, Kenya
Clinton Kipruto led Norfolk State at the Paul Short Run, placing fifth in the Men’s College Gold 8K in 24:10.4. The freshman led at the three- and four-mile marks and finished just 10.6 seconds behind the individual champion, helping the Spartans place 11th among 35 scoring teams.
 
Other Top Performers
Taiefa Gowe (Norfolk State) – Taiefa Gowe led Norfolk State at the Paul Short Run, placing 309th in the Women’s College Gold 6K in 25:44.0. The freshman moved up 16 positions from the two-mile mark to the finish, crossing as the Spartans’ top finisher.
 
Marian Drazan (Delaware State) – Marian Drazan led Delaware State at the Paul Short Run, placing 66th in the Women’s College Gold 6K in 25:14.
 
Banele Mkabela (Maryland Eastern Shore) – Banele Mkabel won the Don Cathcart Invitational, covering the 8K course in 24:50.01 to lead Maryland Eastern Shore to a third-place team finish.
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.