TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | For the first time since 2022, Jackson State captured the Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) cross country championship behind four top-10 finishes and individual champion Ryan Achau.

Achau was named the Athlete of the Year following his first-place finish in a time of 25:09.5, outrunning a pair of Bethune-Cookman runners - Jayden Santos-Gonzalez (25:12.2) - to earn first team all-conference honors. He was joined in the top 10 by  Godfrey Kimutai in seventh place (26:06.30,  Collins Kibet in ninth place (26:11.5), and Eric Lagat in 10th place (26:15.0) - each earning second team all-conference honors.

Achau finished the season winning all five of his races with the SWAC Championship.

The Tigers also placed two other runners inside the top 20 including Duncan Koima in 14th place (26:34.7) and Leon Chirchir in 18th place (27:12.4) to seal the championship.

Jackson State finished with 41 points, followed by Texas Southern with 51, Bethune-Cookman with 64, Prairie View A&M 93, and Alabama A&M with 134 to round out the top five.

Mark Thorne was named the SWAC Men's Coach of the Year following the meet.

Meanwhile, the women finished fifth overall with 131 points, behind Alabama State with 120, Southern with 93, Florida A&M with 41, and eventual champion Alabama A&M with 37 points.

Four runners finished inside the top 30 led by Lorine Jelagat in 21st (19:51.9), followed by Joan Koech in 22nd (19:54.8), Sya Bolden in 26th (20:20.7), and Karina Griffin in 28th (20:37.1). Meanwhile, Kaylin Jackson finished 34th (21:19.5) and Amara Hawkins-Quinones in 43rd (21:56.9) for Jackson State.

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