MACON, Ga. — The Edward Waters University men's and women's cross country teams turned in impressive performances at the 2026 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Friday morning at the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course in Macon, Georgia, with both programs earning fifth-place team finishes and two Lady Tigers securing All-Conference honors.
The Edward Waters women's squad delivered a particularly strong showing, placing fifth out of 12 teams in the women's 5K championship, highlighted by a pair of top-10 individual finishes from Alaysa Chipunov and Maila Tashiro. Both runners earned All-SIAC honors following their outstanding performances.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' men's squad also secured a fifth-place finish among 13 teams in the men's 8K championship, led by a strong performance from Alex Payne III, who paced Edward Waters with a 16th-place individual finish.
Lady Tigers Secure Fifth-Place Finish Behind Two All-Conference Performers
The Edward Waters women's cross country team delivered an impressive collective effort, finishing fifth overall with 158 team points in a competitive 12-team championship field.
Leading the way was Alaysa Chipunov, who continued her outstanding 2026 campaign with a seventh-place finish, completing the 5K course in 21:15.69.
Chipunov's performance placed her among the conference's top individual competitors and earned her a well-deserved spot among the 2026 All-SIAC honorees.
Joining Chipunov in the conference's top 10 was Maila Tashiro, who delivered an equally impressive performance, crossing the finish line in 21:28.20 to secure ninth place overall.
Tashiro's strong showing earned her All-SIAC recognition, giving Edward Waters two representatives among the conference's top finishers.
The duo's performances provided an important foundation for the Lady Tigers' fifth-place team result, demonstrating the program's ability to compete against some of the SIAC's strongest distance runners.
Edward Waters also received a solid effort from Paris McKinnon, who finished 31st overall with a time of 25:21.96.
Abigail Watt followed with a 53rd-place finish in 28:56.80, while Viviandra Phinizee rounded out the Lady Tigers' scoring five with a 64th-place finish in 32:27.80.
Albany State captured the women's team championship with 22 points, followed by Tuskegee (65), Spring Hill (108), and Allen (116). Edward Waters rounded out the top five with 158 points, finishing ahead of Kentucky State, Clark Atlanta, Central State, Miles, Fort Valley State, Savannah State, and Lane.
Albany State's Brea Vann claimed the women's individual championship with a winning time of 19:51.34.
Tigers Finish Fifth in Men's 8K Championship
On the men's side, Edward Waters also produced a strong championship effort, finishing fifth out of 13 teams with 159 points.
Leading the Purple and Orange was Alex Payne III, who delivered the Tigers' top individual performance, finishing 16th overall with a time of 28:58.81 in the men's 8K race.
Payne's effort placed him just outside the top 15 and established the pace for Edward Waters throughout the championship competition.
Grey Murphy followed with the Tigers' second-fastest performance, crossing the finish line in 31:24.52 to secure 25th place overall.
Myles Stewart contributed a 36th-place finish in 33:23.49, while Joshua Walkes finished 40th with a time of 33:37.00.
Rounding out the Tigers' scoring five was Rayshawn Goodman, who placed 42nd overall in 34:12.12.
Amari McKinnon also represented Edward Waters, finishing 49th overall with a time of 35:35.78.
Tuskegee captured the men's team championship with 23 points, followed by Morehouse (51), Allen (107), and Spring Hill (118). Edward Waters completed the top five with 159 points, finishing ahead of Savannah State, Central State, Benedict, Clark Atlanta, Kentucky State, LeMoyne-Owen, Lane, and Miles.
Tuskegee's Edwin Kiprono claimed the men's individual championship, completing the 8K course in 25:39.68.
Two All-Conference Selections Highlight Championship Success
The Lady Tigers' two All-Conference selections provided one of the biggest highlights of the championship meet for Edward Waters.
Chipunov and Tashiro's top-10 performances demonstrated the depth and competitiveness of the women's program, while Payne's top-20 finish helped lead the men's team to another strong conference championship showing.
With both programs securing fifth-place finishes, Edward Waters concluded the 2026 SIAC Championships with a pair of top-five team results and two individual All-Conference honorees.
The performances reflected the Tigers' continued development and competitive presence in SIAC cross country.
Complete Edward Waters Individual Results
Women's 5K Championship
Team Finish: 5th of 12 Teams — 158 Points
Men's 8K Championship
Team Finish: 5th of 13 Teams — 159 Points
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