The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s cross country team placed third at the MEAC Championships in Cary, N.C., on Oct. 30, 2026, marking the program’s first top-three finish at the conference championships since 2019. Banele Mkabela, Nkanyezi Ziqubu and Siyabonga Mbatha each finished among the top 15 in the men’s 8K and earned All-MEAC honors.
Three University of Maryland Eastern Shore Runners Earn All-MEAC Honors
Mkabela led the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men with a sixth-place finish in 24:38.7. Ziqubu placed seventh in 24:44.6, while Mbatha finished 11th in 25:03.6.
The men’s team finished third with 87 points. The result marked the University of Maryland Eastern Shore program’s first top-three finish at the MEAC Championships since 2019.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Women Finish Eighth
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore women’s cross country team finished eighth with 213 points. Rihanna Gayle led the team in the women’s 5K with a time of 23:37.3, followed by Lila Moore in 25:39.03 and Ketarah Johnson in 26:04.7.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s cross country team combined an 87-point third-place finish with three All-MEAC performances. Mkabela, Ziqubu and Mbatha all finished in the top 15 of the men’s 8K, while the team’s result gave the program its first top-three MEAC Championships finish since 2019.
Source: Original report
