Colorado Springs, Colo. - The WNMU Mustangs Men's and Women's Cross Country teams kicked off their 2024 season opener at the UCCS Rust Buster 8K (men) and 5K (women) held by the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
"For the start of the season, I couldn't be happier," said Head Coach
Macario Campos. "On the men's side we were competitive with the top teams in our region, including a nationally ranked UCCS, I'm very happy with where they finished. On the women's side, we ran a great race. We were only a few seconds away from the fourth place team which is very promising." Campos added. "These finishes give us a great momentum heading into next week and as long as we stay healthy, we should continue to get better throughout the year."
On the women's side, the Lady Mustangs showed great resolve, earning 144 points and finishing in sixth place. Individually for the women,
Aubrey Lozoya (Albuquerque, NM/Cottonwood Classic Preparatory) powered through the finish line with a time of twenty minutes and eleven seconds (20:11). Also, in the 20 min barrier was
Itzela Darkenwald (Conroe, TX/Caney Creek High School), who crossed the line at twenty minutes and twenty three seconds (20:23).Â
On the men's side, the Mustangs would post a score of 58, putting them in the 2nd place overall. Individually,
Jarred Baca (Las Vegas/West Las Vegas High School) led the Mustangs to the finish with a time of twenty five minutes and fourty nine seconds (25:49). His time placed him in the 8th spot overall. Finishing right behind him was
Javier Garcia (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) with a time of twenty six minutes and six seconds (26:06) placing him in the 11th spot overall.
Both teams had their LSC Runners to watch complete their course as top two for their team.
Aubrey Lozoya (Albuquerque, NM/Cottonwood Classic Preparatory),
Itzela Darkenwald (Conroe, TX/Caney Creek High School),
Jarred Baca (Las Vegas/West Las Vegas High School), and
Javier Garcia (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert High School) all proved their talent at this meet.Â
Full results click
HERE.
Both teams look to compete again in the Lubbock, Texas at the Texas Tech Invite held on September 13, 2024.
This game recap is presented by First American Bank. First American Bank is a proud supporter of WNMU Athletics! Â
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Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube & Instagram).
