PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (Sept. 19, 2026) -- The Morgan State men's cross country team turned in a strong performance Saturday morning at the UMES Soaring Hawks Invitational, placing second in the team standings on a cloudy morning in Princess Anne.
The Bears finished with 53 points, trailing Coppin State, which captured the team title with 29 points. Host Maryland Eastern Shore finished third with 56 points, while Lincoln (Pa.) rounded out the field in fourth with 83 points.
"Overall, it was a total team effort today," said head coach Neville Hodge. "The ladies were very aggressive from the start of the race and executed the race plan based on our training. The men, on the other hand, had a good showing during the early part of the race, but struggled during the latter stages of the 8K. However, the effort was there. As a staff, we are proud of the efforts of both teams."
Sophomore Natnael Gebremariam led the Bears, finishing sixth overall in the 8K with a time of 29:31.43, averaging 3:41.5 per mile.
Sophomore Miguel Graham was the next Morgan runner across the finish line, placing eighth in 30:14.34, followed by Noel Cyrus Jr., who finished ninth in 30:20.83.
Freshman Isaiah Smith placed 14th in 31:27.43, while sophomore Keenan Frisby finished 16th in 32:40.10. Freshman Lael Espinal followed in 17th place with a time of 32:51.62, and freshman Jaxon Collins placed 20th in 34:57.17.
Sophomore Joshua Moore rounded out the Morgan State lineup, placing 24th in 37:17.68.
The Bears will return to action Friday, Oct. 2, when they compete at the Richmond Invitational in Mechanicsville, Va.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
