Jepkosgei, Eaton sweep UAC cross country honors
10/5/2026 2:29:00 PM | Cross Country
ARLINGTON, Texas — The United Athletic Conference announced Monday that both Dorcas Jepkosgei and Toby Eaton swept the conference's weekly cross country awards. Jepkosgei's record-setting day at the Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday netted her Women's Runner of the Week while Eaton's effort at the meet earned him Men's Runner of the Week.
Lightning struck twice for Jepkosgei over the weekend. Nearly a year to the day when the Kenya native broke the UTA program record for women's 5k with a 16:09.5 at last season's Chile Pepper Festival, Jepkosgei did it once again.Â
The sophomore broke her own program record at the Women Harter's Habanero 5k, clocking a 15:59.1 in the event. Jepkosgei finished as the runner up in a field of over 250 individuals.Â
She ended just a tenth of a second behind Arkansas' Braelyn Combe, who caught Jepkosgei at the tape for the win. Jepkosgei's runner-up placement followed her victory in the 5k at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational. The Kenya native has finished second or first in six cross country events in her career.
Jepkosgei's time is just two seconds off the course record at Agri Park. She helped UTA finish fourth out of 28 teams and in front of power four programs such as Baylor and Texas. Her runner-up placement followed her victory in the 5k at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational.
This is Jepkosgei's fourth conference cross country athlete of the week award after winning three WAC Cross Country Athlete of Week awards her freshman season. She is currently ranked 95th in the country in the USTFCCCA Division I Cross Country Rating Index.
Eaton led the way for UTA on the men's side, competing in the Chile Pepper Festival's McDonell Memorial 8k. The junior finished 14th overall out of a field that featured over 270 individuals.Â
All told, Eaton ran a 24:38.8 at the event. The Mansfield native helped UTA finish seventh out of 26 teams. He has finished top 15 or better in both of UTA's meets so far this season, finishing in third at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational as well.
This is Eaton's second weekly conference cross country award as a Maverick. He was named WAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week once during the 2025 season.
Follow the UTA track and field and cross-country teams on X (@UTAMavsTFXC), Instagram (@UTAMavsTFXC) and Facebook (/UTAMavsTFXC).Â
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Lightning struck twice for Jepkosgei over the weekend. Nearly a year to the day when the Kenya native broke the UTA program record for women's 5k with a 16:09.5 at last season's Chile Pepper Festival, Jepkosgei did it once again.Â
The sophomore broke her own program record at the Women Harter's Habanero 5k, clocking a 15:59.1 in the event. Jepkosgei finished as the runner up in a field of over 250 individuals.Â
She ended just a tenth of a second behind Arkansas' Braelyn Combe, who caught Jepkosgei at the tape for the win. Jepkosgei's runner-up placement followed her victory in the 5k at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational. The Kenya native has finished second or first in six cross country events in her career.
Jepkosgei's time is just two seconds off the course record at Agri Park. She helped UTA finish fourth out of 28 teams and in front of power four programs such as Baylor and Texas. Her runner-up placement followed her victory in the 5k at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational.
This is Jepkosgei's fourth conference cross country athlete of the week award after winning three WAC Cross Country Athlete of Week awards her freshman season. She is currently ranked 95th in the country in the USTFCCCA Division I Cross Country Rating Index.
Eaton led the way for UTA on the men's side, competing in the Chile Pepper Festival's McDonell Memorial 8k. The junior finished 14th overall out of a field that featured over 270 individuals.Â
All told, Eaton ran a 24:38.8 at the event. The Mansfield native helped UTA finish seventh out of 26 teams. He has finished top 15 or better in both of UTA's meets so far this season, finishing in third at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational as well.
This is Eaton's second weekly conference cross country award as a Maverick. He was named WAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week once during the 2025 season.
-- #BuckEm –
FOLLOW ALONGFollow the UTA track and field and cross-country teams on X (@UTAMavsTFXC), Instagram (@UTAMavsTFXC) and Facebook (/UTAMavsTFXC).Â
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