Mountaineers return to regional stage
West Virginia University’s No. 3 women’s cross country team will compete Friday at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a chance to extend one of the program’s strongest recent championship runs. The Mountaineers have won the regional team title in each of the past two seasons and will also pursue a third consecutive individual regional championship.
The women’s race is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. WVU said live results will be available through WVUsports.com, giving supporters a way to follow the meet as the team competes for another regional result.
West Virginia enters the race after finishing second at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Mountaineers scored 63 points, finishing seven points behind conference champion BYU. That performance placed WVU among the leading teams in its conference heading into the NCAA regional competition.
Three All-Big 12 runners lead WVU
Mercy Kinyanjui paced West Virginia at the conference meet, placing fifth in 19 minutes, 42.7 seconds. Joy Naukot followed in seventh at 19:46.0, while Sheila Chepkirui finished 10th in 19:51.8. All three earned All-Big 12 recognition.
The honors represented another milestone for each athlete. Kinyanjui received the designation for the second time in her career, Naukot earned her third selection and Chepkirui collected her first. Their finishes gave West Virginia three runners in the top 10 at the Big 12 championship.
| Runner | Big 12 finish | Time | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Kinyanjui | 5th | 19:42.7 | All-Big 12 |
| Joy Naukot | 7th | 19:46.0 | All-Big 12 |
| Sheila Chepkirui | 10th | 19:51.8 | All-Big 12 |
Emily Bryce finished 20th at 20:18.8, and Lexi Lamb placed 21st at 20:27.3. Those five athletes made up West Virginia’s scoring group at the Big 12 meet, with their combined performance helping the Mountaineers secure runner-up status behind BYU.
Regional title streak at stake
Friday’s meet carries significance beyond the team’s current national ranking. West Virginia is attempting to claim its third straight team regional championship, a streak that began with the program’s victories in 2024 and 2025. The Mountaineers are also seeking a third successive individual regional title, according to the university’s athletics department.
The recent history gives the team a clear benchmark as it returns to postseason competition. At the same time, the regional race follows a conference finish that left WVU just short of the Big 12 championship. The combination of the runner-up result and the program’s previous regional success sets up Friday as the next test for a team that has remained near the top of the national field.
For the leading runners, the meet will offer another opportunity to build on the performances that earned conference honors. Kinyanjui’s fifth-place finish was West Virginia’s best individual result at the Big 12 championships, while Naukot and Chepkirui also placed high enough to join her among the conference’s recognized athletes.
National championships follow next week
West Virginia’s postseason schedule continues with the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Indiana. The national meet is listed as the team’s next competition after the Mid-Atlantic Regional, placing Friday’s race between the Big 12 championship and the final event on WVU’s schedule.
Supporters seeking updates can check WVUsports.com for live results and follow the Mountaineers’ women’s cross country program on X, Facebook and Instagram. The regional race begins at 11 a.m. Eastern time, with West Virginia pursuing another team title and another individual championship in the NCAA postseason.
