Cross Country Heads to Chicago for Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational

Friday, September 25

Chicago, Ill.

Middle Tennessee

Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational

9/24/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Track & Field/Cross Country

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee cross country teams will head to Chicago, Ill., for the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Sept. 25 at the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course. The Tom Cooney Championship Races will begin with the women's 6k at 9 a.m., followed by the men's 8k at 9:40 a.m.

Quick Notes:

The Blue Raiders had another successful race at the Tennessee Invitational. The men's team won the meet with a team score of 31 points, while the women's team recorded a team score of 46 points
Allan Kiplagat led the Blue Raiders to a team victory, winning the race in with a time of 19:12.4 to secure his individual title
Moses Lekokei finished fifth in 19:33.3, followed by Solomon Sayo in sixth at 19:34.9. Kelvin Tanui eighth in 19:39.7, Gabe Allen finished 11^th in 19:44.5, Mackdonald Songok placed 20^th in 20:49.5 and Juan Lucas De La Funete finished 23^rd in 20:54.5
Evalyne Wambui led the Blue Raiders on the women's side, finishing fourth in 15:58.9. Elizabeth Magoma in sixth at 16:40.1, followed by Odilia Jepchumba in seventh at 17:09.0. Privillege Chikara finished 11^th in 17:25.9, Eleanor Towe placed 18^th in 18:07.5. Lauren Cole finished 20^th in 18:30.4, Viviana Salonia placed 22^nd at 18:52.9 and Hailee Gorham finished 23^rd in 19:13.3
Kiplagat, Wambui and Salonia earned Conference USA Weekly honors on Sept 15 following their performances at the Tennessee Invitational. Kiplagat and Wambui were named the Men's and Women's Athlete of the Week. It marked Kiplagat's fourth Athlete of the Week honor and Wambui's second. Salonia earned Women's Freshman of the Week honors, marking her first weekly honor as a Blue Raider.
The men competing are Kiplagat, Lekokei, Sayo, Tanui, Allen and Lucas de la Fùente
The women racing are Wambui, Magoma, Jepchumba, Chikara, Towe, and Salonia

Series History
Friday's meet will mark the men's second appearance at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational. The last time the men competed at the meet was in 2023, the men's placed seventh with a team score of 196 points in the men's 8k. This will be Lucas de la Fuente's second appearance at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational. As a freshman in 2023, he finished in the top 100 with a time of 25:22.50.
The women's cross country time will make its first appearance at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational.

Scouting the opponents

The Blue Raiders will be competing against a field of 16 other schools at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational, with eight of those being from Power 4 Conferences.
Middle Tennessee and host Loyola Chicago will compete alongside Arizona, Cal Poly, Furman, Lipscomb, Miami (OH), Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio, Oregon State, Purdue, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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