MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Senior Ceili McCabe of the West Virginia University cross country team earned the Big 12 Cross Country Championships crown for the third time on Friday afternoon after finishing with a personal and program best time of 19:02.60 in Waco, Texas.

McCabe's conference win helped secure West Virginia's second place team finish, with 60 total points. The second-place finish marks the highest for the program since 2022, when the Mountaineers were also named the runner up at the league championship.

"We are on a very nice roll as championship season is upon us," said WVU coach Sean Cleary. "Sometimes, when teams fly under the radar as we did, it is difficult to replicate your performance in the next race. That's what makes today so exciting, our team was able to go out in what was a very competitive Big 12 Championship and duplicate our performance from two weeks ago."

Freshman Joy Naukot eclipsed her previous set personal best time by nearly 19 seconds, earning a new program record as the fastest freshman to cross the line, 19:18.09. With the time, Naukot clinched a third-place finish along with All-Big 12 honors.
Redshirt senior Sarah Tait finished next for the Mountaineers, running a personal best time of 19:59.27. Tait claimed 12^th place with the time, earning herself All-Big 12 accolades.

Additionally, graduate student Madison Trippett notched the fourth career best time of the day, 20:08.51 to finish 20^th. Redshirt junior Emily Bryce followed close behind, claiming 25^th place with a time of 20:20.53.

"Having this pack of runners was the backbone of this performance," Cleary added. "These three student athletes have been interchangeable in all three meets they have competed in, for me that is the key of our team result. Obviously, having McCabe and Naukot in the front of the pack sets the tone, but these three want what's best for the team, and the results show that."

Sophomores Tecla Lokrale and Lexi Lamb finished next for WVU, in 59^th and 67^th place, respectively.

Redshirt freshman Mary Delaney crossed the finish line with yet another personal best, 22:04.63. West Virginia was rounded out by sophomore Eva Rinker and redshirt junior Aubrie Custer.

Next, the Mountaineers will prepare for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Nov. 15. This year's regional race will be hosted by Penn State, at the Blue and White Courses in University Park, Pennsylvania. The race's start time will be announced at a later date.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.