Mkabela, Mbatha Close Season at NCAA Cross Country Regionals

Men's Cross Country | 11/14/2025 2:28:00 PM

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Juniors Banele Mkabela and Siyabonga Mbatha represented the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Regionals hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Mkabela placed 81st with a time of 31:39.1, while Mbatha finished 94th in 31:47.1.

The Johannesburg, South Africa natives closed out the 2025 season after building on standout rookie campaigns for the Hawks.

Mkabela made his season debut on Oct. 3 at the HBCU Challenge in Cary, North Carolina, and went on to place inside the top three in three consecutive meets, earning an All-MEAC selection.

Mbatha opened his season on Sept. 20 at the Soaring Hawks Invitational, where he placed second in the men's 8K. He capped his 2025 campaign with a first-place finish at the Howard Bison Invitational, earned two MEAC Runner of the Week honors and secured an All-MEAC selection.

Final scores for the women's 6k (NCAA Regionals):
West Virginia: 56
Georgetown: 62
Penn State: 76
Villanova: 78
Princeton: 99
Penn: 231
Bucknell: 235
Pittsburgh: 261
George Washington: 307
Maryland: 345

Final scores for the men's 10k (NCAA Regionals):
Princeton: 45
Georgetown: 63
Villanova: 84
Penn State: 91
Navy: 100
Pittsburgh: 173
Rutgers: 208
Saint Joseph's University: 234
George Washington: 280 
Penn: 305

Times from the women's race are as follows:


 
Place Name Team Time Score
1 Joy Naukot West Virginia  19:11.8 +1
2 Mercy Kinyanjui  West Virginia  19:44.86 +2
3 Melissa Riggins  Georgetown 19:31.7 +3
4 Florence Caron Penn State 19:35.7 +4
5 Tilly O'Connor Villanova 19:41.8 +5
6 Alexis Lamb West Virginia 19:44.3 +6
7 Rose Coats Maryland 19:46.1 +7
8 Meg Madison  Princeton 19:47.8 +8
9 Ada Rand  Penn State 19:48.1 +9
10 Charlotte Tomkinson Georgetown 19:48.5 +10

Times from the men's race are as follows:
 
Place Name Team Time Score
1 Birhanu Hariman Georgetown 29:20.6 +1
2 Myles Hogan Princeton 29:21.2 +2
3 Justin Mumford Navy 29:28.9 +3
4 Jacob Nenow  Princeton 29:35.8 +4
5 Jackson Shorten Princeton 29:36.9 +5
6 Nick Sloff Penn State 29:37.0 +6
7 Charlie Moore Villanova 29:37.9 +7
8 Thomas McMahon Pittsburgh 29:43.8 +8
9 MacCallum Rowe Georgetown 29:43.9 +9
10 Cj Sullivan Villanova 29:52.3 +10

For full results and performances from the NCAA Cross Country Regionals, visit 

Women's - https://results.leonetiming.com/xc.html?mid=8262
Men's - https://results.leonetiming.com/xc.html?mid=8262
 
For updates on UMES cross country and track & field, visit UMESHawkSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (@UMESHawkTFXC) and Instagram (@umeshawktfxc).