Men's Cross Country | 9/23/2026 1:18:50 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – Morgan State’s Crystal Coke and North Carolina Central’s Aaron Alukunyang earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) cross country weekly accolades after capturing individual titles over the weekend, with Coke winning the women’s race at the UMES Soaring Hawks Invitational and Alukunyang taking first at the Adidas Challenge.
 
Crystal Coke | Morgan State | Sr. | St. Catherine, Jamaica
Crystal Coke led Morgan State to the team title at the UMES Soaring Hawks Invitational, winning the women’s race with a time of 21:24.86 and averaging 4:20.2 per mile.
 
Aaron Alukunyang | North Carolina Central | So. | Iten, Kenya
Alukunyang became the first North Carolina Central runner to win the Adidas Challenge 6K, finishing first in 17:48.1. His winning time was five seconds ahead of NC State’s Noah Valyo, and he was one of just two runners from outside of NC State and nationally ranked Wake Forest to finish in the top 10.
 
Other Top Performers
Nkanyezi Niqubu (Maryland Eastern Shore) – Niqubu won the 8K at the UMES Soaring Hawks Invitational, finishing first with a time of 26:25.16. He helped the Hawks finish third as a team.
 
Veronica Jesang (Norfolk State) – Jesang led Norfolk State at the CNU Invitational, finishing third overall in the women’s 6K with a time of 22:23.5. She was the Spartans’ top finisher in the eight-team field.
 
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.