TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles wrapped up their 2026 season with a 17^th place finish at the NCAA South Region Championships in Tallahassee on Friday. 

The Eagles were steady from start to finish, sitting 17^th at the 1000m mark and remaining right there at the finish line 9000m later. The three top 25 squads running in the event were the top three finishers with Alabama just squeaking by Florida for top billing while Tennessee outlasted Florida State for third. The Eagles finished in front of Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, Troy, and FIU in the team standings. 

Individually Innocent Ntwali led the way for the Eagles. His big push came from the 3000m to 4000m mark when he charged up eight spots into the top 100 where he remained the rest of the way, eventually finishing 72^nd with a time of 31:44.4. 

Evan Casterline was right on his heels, using a huge sprint from the 7000m to 8000m mark, where he gained 10 positions, to finish 76^th with a mark of 31:49.2. 

Victor Kemboi was the third Eagle to card a top 100 finish.  He got off to the quickest start of any of the Eagles, blazing past 23 competitors from the 1000m to 3000m mark into the top 75 before crossing the line 84^th with a time of 32:08.9. 

Joel Jean and Nick Moore were the Eagles final two scorers, finishing 124^th and 142^nd respectively. 

"It was great to see Evan and Innocent respond with outstanding performances today after the ASUN meet" FGCU head coach Argeo Cruz said. "We had our sights set on a top 15 finish and despite missing our top guy due to illness, the team continued to compete with heart and determination. I am proud of the guys for bouncing back and giving it their all today."

The Eagles finish the season with five top five finishes including runner-up finishes at the Nike Town Twilight and the Ed Holloway Classic. 

For more information on the Eagles, follow them on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit FGCUathletics.com.