SHAWNEE, Okla. — The Harding men's cross-country team begins postseason competition Saturday morning, traveling to Shawnee, Oklahoma, for the 2026 Great American Conference Cross Country Championships hosted by Oklahoma Baptist University at the Gordon Cooper Technology Center.

The men's 8,000-meter race is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Season in Review

The Bisons enter championship weekend following one of the most impressive regular-season campaigns in program history. Harding opened the year with a fifth-place finish (top Division II team) at the Memphis Twilight Classic before sweeping the top five individual spots to earn a perfect score of 15 points at the Steve Guymon Invitational in Searcy.

Harding followed with a strong sixth-place finish against elite regional competition at the Live in Lou Louisville Classic on Oct. 3, placing just three points back of Division I Western Kentucky. The Bisons capped the regular season on Oct. 16 at Texas A&M's Arturo Barrios Invitational, placing 17th in a 38-team field of 369 runners while defeating 12 NCAA Division I programs including North Texas, New Mexico State, Rice, and LSU.

1st-year standout Benson Lingokal has spearheaded the Bisons' resurgence. The Eldoret, Kenya native is a three-time GAC Runner of the Week recipient this fall (Sept. 7, Oct. 5, and Oct. 19). At the Arturo Barrios Invitational, Lingokal clocked a blistering 23:14.4 to place 10th overall and second among non-Division I competitors. The time stands as the second-fastest 8K mark in Harding cross-country history, trailing only the school record of 23:11.1 set by Harding Athletics Hall of Famer Daniel Kirwa in 2009.

Harding's front-running attack is bolstered by 1st-year sensation Noah Cooper, who posted times of 24:38.2 at Louisville and 24:12.5 at Arturo Barrios. The veteran core features 4th-year runner Brady Axtell (24:34.9 season best), 5th-year veteran Noah Haileab (24:37.3 season best), and 4th-year runner Ryan McCarn (25:08.3 season best). 2nd-year runner Jack Fink, 1st-year runner Rhett Moss, and 2nd-year runner Noah Brothers have consistently rounded out the top seven.

GAC Championship History

Harding is chasing its fourth GAC men's cross-country championship, having captured conference team titles in 2013 (Russellville, Ark.), 2017 (Magnolia, Ark.), and Fall 2021 (Searcy, Ark.). The Bisons have finished in the top three in 13 of the 14 conference championship meets held since the league's inception in 2011.

The Bisons took third place at last year's championship meet in Monticello, Arkansas, totaling 50 points. The meet returns to Shawnee for the first time since 2022, when Harding finished as the conference runner-up with 50 points.

Individually, three different Bisons have captured the GAC men's individual championship: Andrew Evans (2013), Dylan Douglas (2019, Spring 2021, and Fall 2021), and Josphat Meli (2024). Lingokal enters Saturday's race as a front-runner to become Harding's fourth individual champion.

The Bisons' travel roster features three returning All-GAC honorees:

• Noah Haileab: Two-time First Team All-GAC (2022, 2025), Second Team All-GAC (2024), 2022 GAC Freshman of the Year. Haileab placed fifth in Shawnee in 2022 and third in Monticello in 2025.

• Ryan McCarn: First Team All-GAC (2025 - 9th place), Second Team All-GAC (2024 - 17th place).

• Aidan Bailey: Second Team All-GAC (2025 - 14th place).

Harding Championship Travel Roster (19 Runners)