Women's Cross Country | 10/1/2026 9:36:00 AM

The Cloud County Community College women's cross country team is set to embark on a road trip, heading to Winfield, Kansas to compete at the Tiger Ambush XC Open on Friday, October 2.

The women's 5k race will begin at 10 am at Kansas Veterans Home.

The T-Birds are ranked No. 10 in the Week 1 edition of the 2026 NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll, which was released last week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Cloud County opened the 2026 season on September 5 at the 78th annual JK Gold Classic at Clapp Cross Country Course in Wichita, Kansas, followed by a 5k race at the 37th annual Missouri Southern Stampede, hosted by Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri on September 19. Cloud County recorded a fourth place team finish at the JK Gold Classic, tied with Butler Community College for the highest placing among two-year schools, while the T-Birds secured 13th place at the Missouri Southern Stampede, the highest among two-year schools at the event.

Sophomore Faith Jepchumba has led Cloud County this season, finishing as the top NJCAA runner at both meets. This season, Jepchumba has twice been named the NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week. She has also earned Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors twice this fall.

The T-Bird women have also received a top-10 finish from freshman Scholastica Herman, who finished in sixth place at the JK Gold Classic. Herman headlines a talented freshman group that also includes Kaiyanna Alexander, Rylie Jessup, Annie Logie, Breonna Peterson and Isabelle Smith.

Following the Tiger Ambush XC Open, the T-Birds will close out the regular season eight days later at the Fort Hays State University Tiger Open in Hays, Kansas on October 10.

Postseason for the T-Birds will get underway with the 2026 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference/NJCAA Region 6 Championship on October 30 at The Ollie in El Dorado, Kansas. Last season, the T-Bird women finished third overall at the Region 6 championships. Finally, the T-Birds will wrap up their season on November 14 at the 2026 NJCAA Division I Cross Country National Championship in Huntsville, Alabama.

Fans can follow race results from the Tiger Ambush XC Open by visiting cloudtbirds.com, as well as following the Cloud County Athletic Department's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.