Men's Cross Country 9/20/2025 3:13:00 PM

Hawks Claim Men’s, Women’s Titles at Soaring Hawks Invitational

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore cross country program delivered a commanding performance on Saturday afternoon, sweeping the team titles at its home meet, the Soaring Hawks Invitational.

The Hawks claimed first place in both the women's 5k and men's 8k, highlighted by standout individual efforts across the board.

For the second straight week, sophomore Rebecca Jepngetich set the pace for the women's squad. She crossed the line in 18:49.25, a season best that improved on her winning time from the Delaware State Invitational on Sept. 12. Freshman Sharly Cherop secured a personal record as the runner-up with a time of 19:49.94, while senior Shenell Simms rounded out the podium in third with a season-best performance. The trio's dominance propelled UMES to the top of the team standings with 23 points.

On the men's side, junior Siyabonga Mbatha made a strong season debut, finishing second overall in 28:05.83. Sophomore Fidelis Osunkwo was close behind in third with a time of 28:21.33. The Hawks placed four runners inside the top 10, as Mbatha, Osunkwo and seniors Destiny Emuze and David Martin combined to earn 36 points and capture the men's team title.

Final scores for the women's 5k:
Maryland Eastern Shore: 23
Morgan State: 38
Lincoln (Pa.): 65
Coppin State: 100

Final scores for the men's 8k:
Maryland Eastern Shore: 36
Coppin State: 43
Morgan State: 45
Coppin State: 76
Lincoln (Pa.): 99

Times from the women's race are as follows:

Place	Name	Team	Time	Score
1	Rebecca Jepngetich	Maryland Eastern Shore	19:17.38	+1
2	Sharly Cherop	Maryland Eastern Shore	19:44.86	+2
3	Shenell Simms	Maryland Eastern Shore	20:18.66	+3
4	Crystal Coke	Morgan State	20:22.77	+4
5	Aaliyah Headley	Morgan State	20:49.09	+5
6	Hemetii Apet	Morgan State	20:51.35	+6
7	Miranda Mclean	Lincoln (Pa.)	21:20.80	+7
8	McKenzie Abiley	Maryland Eastern Shore	21:26.01	+8
9	Rihanna Gayle	Maryland Eastern Shore	21:36.52	+9
10	Madison Morgan	Lincoln (Pa.)	21:47.60	+10

Times from the men's race are as follows:

Place	Name	Team	Time	Score
1	Humed Nura	Coppin State	27:53.42	+1
2	Siyabonga Mbatha	Maryland Eastern Shore	28:05.83	+2
3	Fidelis Osunkwo	Maryland Eastern Shore	28:05.83	+3
4	Natnael Gebremariam	Morgan State	29:00.35	+4
5	Samuel Skinner	Morgan State	29:07.23	+5
6	Caleb Mincey	Morgan State	29:37.76	+6
7	Asa Francis	Coppin State	29:41.96	+7
8	Destiny Emuze	Maryland Eastern Shore	30:55.63	+8
9	Etiam Torgbenu	Coppin State	31:36.29	+9
10	David Martin	Maryland Eastern Shore	32:04.25	+10

Up next, UMES is scheduled to compete in the HBCU Challenge in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday, Oct. 3.

For full results and performances from Saturday's competition, visit https://results.mdtimingllc.com/meets/55620/events/xc/2132898

For updates on UMES cross country and track & field, visit UMESHawkSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (@UMESHawkTFXC) and Instagram (@umeshawktfxc).

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Players Mentioned

Destiny Emuze: 6' 4"; Senior

David Martin: 6' 1"; Senior

Fidelis Osunkwo: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Siyabonga Mbatha: 6' 2"; Junior

McKenzie Abiley: 5' 3"; Graduate Student

Rihanna Gayle: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Rebecca Jepngetich: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Shenell Simms: 5' 2"; Junior

Sharly Cherop: 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Destiny Emuze
: 6' 4"; Senior

David Martin
: 6' 1"; Senior

Fidelis Osunkwo
: 6' 1"; Sophomore

Siyabonga Mbatha
: 6' 2"; Junior

McKenzie Abiley
: 5' 3"; Graduate Student

Rihanna Gayle
: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Rebecca Jepngetich
: 5' 6"; Sophomore

Shenell Simms
: 5' 2"; Junior

Sharly Cherop
: 5' 4"; Freshman