Banele Mkabela won the men’s 8K on Oct. 3 as University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s cross country competed at the Don Cathcart Invitational, hosted by Salisbury University. The senior finished in 24:50.1, while senior Siyabonga Mbatha placed second in 24:51.1.
The meet marked the fourth of the season for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore cross country program. The men’s team placed third among six teams with 53 points.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Men’s Cross Country Results
Mbatha’s time was a personal best. The senior, who is from Johannesburg, South Africa, finished one second behind Mkabela.
Junior Nkanyezi Ziqubu finished sixth in the men’s 8K with a time of 25:04.5. Ziqubu previously won the 8K at the UMES Invitational.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Women’s Cross Country Results
Junior Rihanna Gayle led the University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s program in the women’s 6K with a season-best time of 26:32.8. Freshman Khetarah Johnson was the second University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s runner to finish, completing the race in 28:05.1.
The women’s program did not record a team score, as it did not have enough scoring runners to qualify at the invitational.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s cross country produced its top individual result of the meet through Mkabela’s victory, with Mbatha adding a personal-best second-place finish and Ziqubu placing sixth. The men’s third-place team finish gave the program a strong result at its fourth meet of the season.
Source: Original report
