CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Just a few weeks away from hitting the course for a new season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi cross country program has been tabbed as one of the Southland Conference's elites once again, with both its men's and women's teams being voted second in the league's preseason poll that was released on Thursday afternoon.
The poll, which was the Southland's first ever for cross country, was voted on by each institution's head coach or sports information director, who ranked their predicted order of finish while excluding their own team. On the men's side, the Islanders received 109 total points and one first-place vote, which sits just behind Stephen F. Austin's total of 121. The women were even closer to the top spot, garnering 115 total points and five first-place votes to place them in a dead heat with SFA at 117 and seven first-place votes.
The Islanders will be looking to reach the mountaintop in 2025 after coming so close last season, finishing second on both sides and seeing the women come just three points shy of taking home the hardware. The teams bring back many of the contributors that got them to that spot in 2025, chief among them being
Elizabeth Khatevi, who put together the greatest women's cross country season in program history after winning individual titles at both the SLC Championships and the NCAA South Central Regional Championships before then finishing 46
th at the NCAA Championships to set a new A&M-Corpus Christi high mark. Returning with her are three of the four remaining points scorers from the conference championships, with those being First Team All-Conference and All-South Central Region honoree
Phylis Kibet, Second Team All-Conference honoree
Faith Ramos and
Embla Hreimsdottir.
As for the men, they return the dynamic duo of All-South Central Region Team member
Mathayo Bundotich and former NCAA Championships qualifier
Dominic Kiptum, who finished fourth and fifth respectively at the 2025 SLC Championships to earn First Team All-Conference nods themselves. In addition, the Islanders welcome back
Diego Canto, who was the team's fifth-place finisher at the conference championships and scored points at five of six meets during his sophomore campaign, and
Dillon Smith, who spent the summer breaking the program's outdoor 800m and 1500m records while competing in his home country of England.
The Islanders open up their season on September 4, when they travel to College Station to take part in the Aggie Opener. After two more regular season meets to follow, they then take their shot at the throne at the Southland Conference Championships, which will be held on October 30 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Click here to read the full Southland Conference release.
2026 Southland Conference Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. SFA - 121 (11)
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 109 (1)
3. UIW - 102
4. Lamar - 83
T5. UTRGV - 78
T5. McNeese - 78
7. HCU - 57
8. East Texas A&M - 54
9. LSU New Orleans - 47
10. Nicholls - 29
11. Northwestern State - 18
12. Southeastern - 16
2026 Southland Conference Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
1. SFA - 117 (7)
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 115 (5)
3. UTRGV - 98
4. UIW - 90
5. McNeese - 75
6. Lamar - 69
7. LSU New Orleans - 60
8. HCU - 56
9. Nicholls - 43
10. East Texas A&M - 37
11. Southeastern - 17
12. Northwestern State - 15
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