NATCHITOCHES, La. – Sophomore
Elizabeth Khatevi successfully defended her crown at the 2025 Southland Conference Championships on Friday morning, putting together a dominant effort and winning the women's 6k individual title for the second consecutive year to highlight the day for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi cross country team.
After taking home her first individual championship in thrilling fashion during her freshman campaign in 2024, Khatevi managed to cruise to victory in her encore performance, leading at every single timed split and crossing the finish line with a time of 19:44.4 that clocked in more than 33 seconds faster than second-place Valentine Jemutai of Stephen F. Austin. The win made Khatevi the first repeat women's champion in the Southland Conference since SFA's Lauren Smith back in 2011 and 2012 and the first for the Islanders in program history, with the only others being accomplished on the men's side by Patrick Kimeli in 2010 and 2011 and Shadrack Songok in 2006 and 2007. Overall, her championship marked the 10
th in school history and the fourth for the women's team, being joined by only Allyson Girard in 2018 and Anne Ronoh in 2009 in the A&M-Corpus Christi history books.
In addition to all of this, Khatevi's victory continued her perfect season to date, making it five wins in as many tries this year and six in a row dating back to the Southland Conference Championships in 2024. In total, the Nairobi, Kenya native has came out on top in all but one of her seven cross country races since coming to the Island prior to last season.
This effort gave Khatevi a spot on the All-Southland Conference First Team, where she was joined by a pair of teammates in freshman
Phylis Kibet and sophomore
Alicia Finnis, who finished in third and fourth place respectively with times of 20:31.4 and 20:50.7. Kibet's performance earned her the SLC Women's Freshman of the Year Award at the end of the meet, making it two for her this calendar year after she also took home the same honor during indoor track season back in March.
The Islanders also had one of their women competitors earn an All-SLC Second Team nod, with the honor going to junior
Faith Ramos by virtue of her time of 21:53.8 that placed her in 13
th overall. Rounding out the team's scorers was sophomore
Embla Hreimsdottir, who came in 18
th with a time of 22:08.9. This earned the team a total of 39 points, which was good for second place overall and just three behind winner SFA's mark of 36.
In the second race of the day, the men would also take home a second-place finish in the 8k, tallying 52 points to come in behind only champion SFA's total of 20. This performance was spearheaded by junior
Mathayo Bundotich and sophomore
Dominic Kiptum, with the former finishing in fourth in the individual standings after crossing the line in 23:14.0 and the latter coming in right behind in fifth with a time of 23:17.3. Both Bundotich and Kiptum earned All-SLC First Team honors for their efforts, bringing the total for the Islanders up to five.
Behind these two were a pair of Second Team honorees, with these being freshman
Kye Lowth after he finished in ninth place with a time of 23:37.6 and senior
Ewan Wheelwright with his time of 23:41.4 that earned him 12
th place. The final points scorer was sophomore
Diego Canto, who finished in 22
nd overall with a time of 24:05.8.
"I am beyond proud of both teams," Islanders head coach
Bryan Jackson said. The women put down their best team race of the year and took a great shot at it. We led as a team for the majority of the race but came up a bit short. A three-point race could go either way on any day.
"The men also put their most complete team race of the season together. We are going to bounce back from this and take our shot again."
The Islanders will now set their sights toward the NCAA South Central Regionals, which will take place in two weeks' time on November 14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas on the campus of the University of Arkansas
Women's Results
1.
Elizabeth Khatevi: 19:44.4
3.
Phylis Kibet: 20:31.4
4.
Alicia Finnis: 20:50.7
13.
Faith Ramos: 21:53.8
18.
Embla Hreimsdottir: 22:08.9
24.
Neele Heyne: 22:17.8
25.
Sharon Jemeli: 22:30.7
43.
Hannah Gonzalez: 23:17.8
45:
Deandra Ibarra: 23:18.8
Men's Results
4.
Mathayo Bundotich: 23:14.0
5.
Dominic Kiptum: 23:17.3
9.
Kye Lowth: 23:37.6
12.
Ewan Wheelwright: 23:41.4
23:
Diego Canto: 24:05.8
37.
Joseph Lopez: 24:40.3
38.
Gary Custer: 24.42.4
41.
Andrew Rivas: 24:46.9
45.
Dillon Smith: 24:56.9
48.
Carson Brown: 25:01.8
Women's Team Results
1. Stephen F. Austin (36)
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (39)
3. UTRGV (65)
4. Incarnate Word (136)
5. McNeese (157)
6. New Orleans (185)
7. Houston Christian (187)
8. Lamar (207)
9. Nicholls (225)
10. East Texas A&M (254)
11. Southeastern Louisiana (318)
12. Northwestern State (351)
Men's Team Results
1. Stephen F. Austin (20)
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (52)
3. Incarnate Word (67)
4. Lamar (130)
5. UTRGV (173)
6. McNeese (178)
7. East Texas A&M (192)
8. Houston Christian (199)
9. New Orleans (221)
10. Nicholls (332)
11. Northwestern State (334)
12. Southeastern Louisiana (344)
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