BETHANY, Okla. – Oklahoma City University takes aim at its eighth Sooner Athletic Conference women’s cross country title in a row at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eldon Lyon Park. 

The Stars turned in a third-place showing in their most recent outing, the Mid-States Classic. OCU competed against Southern Oregon, ranked 10th in the NAIA, on Oct. 22 in Winfield, Kan. 

On Nov. 6, 2021, Oklahoma City secured its seventh consecutive conference crown behind six all-SAC harriers. Four of those top-15 finishers return for OCU. 

“We’re very excited for championship season,” said OCU coach Frezer Legesse, the 2021 SAC coach of the year. 

Oklahoma City’s Sharon Koima looks to become a three-time all-conference performer. Koima, a junior from Eldoret, Kenya, took third place for the second year in a row in the league meet with a time of 19 minutes, 0.8 seconds in the 5,000-meter race at Eldon Lyon. Koima, a two-time SAC runner of the week this year, posted her top finish of the season Sept. 17 in the Missouri Southern Stampede, taking third with a mark of 18:49.2 in Joplin, Mo. 

Cailen Jolley delivered a 10th-place finish in the 2021 SAC Championships. Jolley, a senior from Pauls Valley, Okla., put forth her career-best time (18:58.6) in the Chile Pepper Festival on Sept. 30 in Fayetteville, Ark.  

OCU’s Elizabeth and Kaitlyn Heffernan have earned two all-SAC honors. Elizabeth Heffernan came in 14th, while Katlyn Davenport provided the Stars with a 15th-place showing last year.  

John Brown’s Hope Ahnfeldt topped the SAC with three Oklahoma Ford Dealers conference runner of the week awards this year. Anhfeldt came up with her personal-best mark of 18:35, good for third place in the NAIA Mid-States Classic. 

The SAC champion secures its spot in the NAIA Championships on Nov. 18 in Tallahassee, Fla.  

The weather forecast Saturday morning calls for sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 40s and a southwest wind around 10 mph. Rain is in the forecast for Friday.