LAKE CHARLES - McNeese will open up its 2026 cross country season on Friday evening with the running of the McNeese Season Opener at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex in Lake Charles.
 
The women will run a 3k race starting at 5:30 and the men will follow with a 5k even at 6 p.m. Live results can be found by clicking HERE.
 
Joining McNeese in the meet will be men's and women's teams from Lamar, Northwestern State, and Stephen F. Austin, and the men's team from Centenary.
 
Both the Cowboys and Cowgirls enter the season projected for a fifth-place finish in the Southland Conference according to the preseason polls. Both SFA teams are picked to win the league while Lamar has been picked fourth in the men's and sixth in the women's poll.
 
"We're entering the season determined to elevate our standing in the league championship," said head coach Brendon Gilroy. "We're focused on closing the gap on the upper half of the league and the highly competitive South Central Region rankings."
 
Looking at the Cowboys:
"The absolute strength of the 2026 roster rests in its proven sophomore core, which now carries vital championship race experience," said Gilroy.
 
Ryan McCarthy (So.): The top finisher from last year's conference meet remains the heartbeat of the roster and a premier front-running candidate.
 
Gregory Martin (So.): Right on McCarthy's heels last October, Martin brings excellent tactical speed and a deep track profile back to the grass.
 
Sullivan Hanna (Jr.) & Samuel Serrano Borrego (So.): Hanna (36th at 24:39.50) and Borrego (53rd) round out the experienced returning varsity group needed to establish a low-point 1-to-5 scoring spread.
 
Newcomers Add Depth:
Carlton Rotich (Fr.): The freshman from Eldoret, Kenya, brings elite long-distance pedigree and is expected to contend for a top-three spot in the lineup immediately.
 
Diarmuid Moloney (Fr.): Hailing from Nenagh, Ireland, Moloney joins an already strong Irish contingent at McNeese and adds strong mid-distance closing speed to cross country's longer distances.
 
Ethan Gioko (Jr.) & Daniel Aboagye (Jr.): Junior transfers from Odessa College and Garden City CC provide much-needed upperclassman leadership to balance an otherwise young roster.
 
Looking at the Cowgirls:
Top returners include key contributors such as Elsa Moore (Ireland), Rylee Kai Challenor (South Africa), Edyn Hill (Australia), and Darcey Tullis (England). Alongside junior Uxue Castro-Martin, the Cowgirl group provides the depth needed compete in the upper half of the leauge.
 
Gilroy added several impact transfers and talented freshmen to help build the depth. It includes:
 
Fancy Jelagat (So.): Transferring from Texas A&M International, Jelagat adds highly reliable front-running speed.
 
Maria Murnane (Fr.): The incoming freshman from Kenmare, Ireland, deepens the pipeline of elite European middle-distance talent stepping onto the grass.
 
Reese Jeane. Hailing from nearby Evans, Louisiana, Jeane arrives in Lake Charles with a highly decorated high school resume: reigning LHSAA Division V Girls' Cross Country State Champion and the 2025 All-CENLA Girls Cross Country MVP.