Charlotte, NC – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is set to host its 2021 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Thursday, October 28 at Green Hill Park in Salem, Virginia. The women's championship meet will begin at 12 noon followed by the men's championship at 1:30 pm.

Looking to repeat as team champion will be the Virginia Union men while the women of Fayetteville State will be looking to secure their fourth consecutive conference title.

The 2019 championship meet saw the Virginia Union men take five of the top 20 spots, including two in the top five, to win the team title with 52 points. Led by interim head coach Rashad Cannon, the Panthers return three of four All-CIAA performers from the 2019 team led by sophomore Micah Kipruto, who is the reigning CIAA individual champion.

The Lady Broncos, led by head coach Inez Turner, had five finishers in the top 15 at the 2019 meet to three-peat as women's champions with 35 points. The FSU women enter the 2021 championship meet with four top-three finishes in the regular season, including wins at the Cedric Walker HBCU Challenge and the Monarch Cross Country Classic.

Individually, Kipruto will be looking to win his second consecutive men's title. The 2019 CIAA Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year will have to hold off several contenders from 2019 that includes teammate Enos Rotich and Virginia State's Darrell Dyson along with newcomers such as Eric Thomas-Talley from Bowie State.

On the women's side, Fayetteville State senior Mercy Chemutai is the top returning finisher from the 2019 championship meet. An All-CIAA performer in 2019 and the CIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year that same season, Chemutai will look to improve on her third place performance and win the individual title. She will need to outpace several All-CIAA performers from last season, including Winston-Salem State's Tamia McLean, Virginia State duo Jordan Burzynski and Alandina Hyppolite as well as teammates Aleena Cruz-Coleman and Sierra Beasley.

For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. You can also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and on Twitch. To get the latest updates on the 2021 CIAA Cross Country Championships, please visit HERE. 

*Spectators and administrators in attendance at the CIAA Cross Country Championship are not required to wear masks outside when practicing proper social distancing (at least six feet), but still strongly encouraged. However, masks are required when less than six feet of others while at the event. All local, state, & CDC COVID-19 guidelines must be adhered to. 
 
2021 CIAA Cross Country Championships Schedule of Events

**Course Open for Team Walkthrough on October 27 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Women's 5,000-Meter Championship Race

11:35 a.m. -    Women's competitors called to the start line (Approximately 20 minutes to start)
11:40 a.m. -    National Anthem
11:45 a.m. -    Begin clerking procedure
11:50 a.m. -    Second call to the start line
11:55 a.m. -    Start line cleared of all non-competitors (5 minutes to start)
11:57 a.m. -    Runners at the start line for instructions
12:00 p.m. -    Start of Women's 5,000-meter championship race

Men's 8,000-Meter Championship Race

1:10 p.m. -     Men's competitors called to the start line (Approximately 20 minutes to start)
1:15 p.m. -     Begin clerking procedure
1:20 p.m. -     Second call to the start line
1:25 p.m. -     Start line cleared of all non- competitors (5 minutes to start)
1:27 p.m. -     Runners at the start line for instructions
1:30 p.m. -     Start of Men's 8,000-meter championship race
 
Individual and Team Awards immediately following the Women's Championship race.