FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Elizabeth City State University Cross Country made history at the Methodist Downback Invitational, turning in a pair of standout team performances as the Viking men captured first place and the women earned a second-place finish!

The historic showing marked the best places in each programs history, respectively! 

On the men's side, ECSU finished atop the team standings with 39 points, tying Coker University in the overall scoring. The Vikings claimed the team championship through the tiebreaker, with ECSU's sixth finisher giving the Vikings the edge over Coker. Methodist University followed in third place with 46 points.

Leading the way for the Vikings was Josh White, who delivered an impressive performance in the men's 3.6-kilometer race. White crossed the finish line in 14:48.90, placing third overall and giving ECSU a strong presence near the front of the field.

The Viking women put together an equally impressive team effort in the 3.5-kilometer race, finishing second overall with 51 points. ECSU finished behind Coker University, which won the women's team title with 22 points, while the Vikings edged host Methodist University, which placed third with 55 points.

Amariah Stewart paced the Viking women, crossing the finish line in 16:08.76 as ECSU's top finisher. Stewart's performance helped set the tone for a strong team showing and contributed to the Vikings securing the runner-up finish.

The results represented a dramatic improvement from ECSU's appearance at the Downback Invitational one year ago. Both the men's and women's programs finished fourth at the 2025 meet, making this year's first- and second-place finishes another sign of the program's continued growth.

With the men's team standing atop the podium and the women's team securing runner-up honors, the Vikings leave Fayetteville with momentum and a historic performance to build on as the 2026 cross country season continues.

For complete results and more information on ECSU Cross Country, visit ecsuvikings.com.