Women’s Cross Country Tabbed First in GAC Coaches’ Poll
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Coming off a third-place finish at last year's Great American Conference Women's Cross Country Championship, the East Central University women's cross country team has been selected as the preseason favorite to claim the 2026 GAC title, according to the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
The Tigers received 114 total points and six first-place votes to lead the 12-team poll. Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist tied for second with 107 points, with the Bison receiving two first-place votes and the Tigers of Ouachita earning three. Harding rounded out the teams receiving a first-place vote with 94 points.
Arkansas Tech, the defending GAC champion, was picked fifth with 76 points, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma State (68), Northwestern Oklahoma State (66), Southern Arkansas (51), Henderson State (34), Southern Nazarene (32), Southwestern Oklahoma State (32) and Arkansas-Monticello (11).
East Central returns five runners from last season, led by 2025 GAC individual champion
Winnie Kipsang. Kipsang posted a winning 5K time of 17:31.91 at last year's conference championship, finishing nearly four seconds ahead of the runner-up.
The Tigers also return
Sheilah Bii, who placed third individually at the 2025 GAC Championship.
ECU adds six newcomers to the roster, including two freshmen and four transfers, highlighted by junior transfer
Joyce Kemboi from Texas A&M, where she earned Third-Team All-SEC honors as a sophomore in 2025.
ECU will look to build on its third-place conference finish from a year ago as they enter the 2026 season. The Tigers begin the new campaign on Friday, Sep. 4 at the Aggie Duels Invitational hosted by Cameron University.
