RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men's and women's cross country teams have both been picked to win the United Athletic Conference in a preseason poll of league head coaches.
 
Senior Taha Er Raouy was selected as the UAC Preseason Men's Runner of the Year, while sophomore Edna Chelulei was tabbed the UAC Preseason Women's Runner of the Year in the same poll.
 
This will be EKU cross country's first season competing in the UAC.
 
The EKU men have won 32 conference cross country championships, including four straight Atlantic Sun Conference titles from 2022 to 2025.
 
The Colonels will have another strong roster in 2026, with Er Raouy leading the way. The native of Marrakech, Morocco won the ASUN individual cross country title in 2023 and 2025. Last year, he earned All-America honors after finishing 30^th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. His performance helped lead the EKU men to ninth place at the national championship meet, the best finish in school history.
 
He will be joined by fellow returners Brian Kimutai, Mohammed Jouhari, and Cosmas Kiprop. Kimutai was also a cross country All-American in 2025, finishing 21^st at the NCAA Championships. Jouhari owns a 10,000 meters personal best of 28:29.56. Kiprop took silver in the 10,000 meters at the 2026 ASUN Outdoor Championships and will look to make a major leap in cross country this fall.
 
Junior Bradley Giblin should also be a factor this cross country season. Giblin arrived at EKU in January and made an immediate impact during the track season. He won ASUN gold in the 800 meters and ran personal-best times of 3:37.12 in the 1,500 meters and 13:41.41 in the 5,000  meters. He qualified for the NCAA East Prelims in both of those events.
 
The EKU men were a unanimous selection to win the UAC with 80 points. UT Arlington was picked to finish second behind the Colonels with 65 points, followed by Central Arkansas (62), North Alabama (58), Abilene Christian (53), Little Rock (45), Tarleton State (44), West Georgia (34), and Austin Peay (30).
 
The Eastern Kentucky women's program has won 34 conference cross country championships in its history. The Colonels' last conference title was an Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2020.
 
EKU finished second at last year's ASUN Championships, and the Colonels return several impact runners from that squad.
 
Chelulei headlines those returners. The sophomore from Uasin Gishu County, Kenya finished fourth at last year's ASUN Championships, earning first team all-conference honors. She then qualified as an individual for the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she finished 63^rd out of 261 competitors.
 
Chelulei was a two-time first-team All-American during the track season. She ran a personal-best 15:05.16 for 5,000 meters during the indoor season, which at the time was the 10^th fastest 5K in NCAA history. She then finished sixth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships, collecting her first first-team All-America trophy. During the outdoor season, she ran 31:33.57 for 10,000 meters, which at the time was the seventh fastest 10K time in NCAA history. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she finished sixth in the 5,000 meters to earn her second first-team All-America accolade.
 
Another track All-American, Brighter Jepchumba, is back for the women. Jepchumba did not run cross country last season, but she arrived in January and made an immediate impact on the track. Jepchumba won the ASUN title in both the indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters. She posted personal-best times of 15:28.09 for 5,000 meters and 32:40.65 for 10,000 meters. She earned second team All-America honors after finishing 16^th in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Sophomores Metrine Serem and Morgan Kobylinski will also be key competitors for the women. Serem was second team all-conference in cross country last season, finishing ninth at the ASUN Championships. She went on to win gold in the 800 meters at the ASUN Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the spring. Kobylinski was named to the ASUN All-Freshman team last cross country season, and she ran a personal-best 16:08.42 in the 5,000 meters during the outdoor season.

The EKU women were also a unanimous pick to win the UAC with 80 points, followed by UT Arlington (66), Central Arkansas (62), Abilene Christian (56), Tarleton State (50), North Alabama (47), Little Rock (43), West Georgia (34), and Austin Peay (33).
 
EKU will host the UAC Cross Country Championships this season on Friday, October 30 at the University Club at Arlington.