The Maryland Eastern Shore cross country program opened its 2026 campaign at the Salisbury University Fall Classic on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 5, in Salisbury, Maryland. Senior Banele Mkabela placed third in the men’s 8K with a time of 24:57.0, while junior Rihanna Gayle led the Hawks on the women’s side with a time of 29:34.9.
Banele Mkabela Leads Hawks on Men’s Side
Mkabela finished behind George Mason’s Alec Deroussel and Tarek Benlamkaddem, who placed first and second in 24:51.6 and 24:53.8, respectively. His 24:57.0 mark gave the senior the top finish among Maryland Eastern Shore men.
Senior Siyabonga Mbatha also contributed with a 15th-place finish in 26:11.7. Maryland Eastern Shore’s men’s team placed fourth with a team score of 120 points, following George Mason (19), Navy (36), and Salisbury (82).
Rihanna Gayle Leads Hawks on Women’s Side
Gayle led the Maryland Eastern Shore women with her 29:34.9 finish in the 6K race. The women’s team scored 161 points to place sixth in the team competition, behind Navy (21), George Mason (47), Salisbury (67), Regent University (125), and District of Columbia (149).
Freshmen Adilia Trim, Khetarah Johnson, and Kyla Fleming finished consecutively in the women’s race with times of 33:43.9, 34:16.5, and 36:16.5, respectively, highlighting the strength of the Hawks’ young runners.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The Maryland Eastern Shore cross country team started its 2026 season with solid individual and team performances at the Salisbury University Fall Classic. Mkabela’s third-place finish provided a strong lead for the men’s squad, which secured fourth place overall, while Gayle paced the women’s team that finished sixth in a competitive field.
Full results are available through the University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletics announcement.
Source: Original report
