LUBBOCK, Texas – The Western New Mexico University women's cross country team competed at the Texas Tech Open on Friday, September 18, finishing ninth overall with 243 team points in the women's 6000 meter race.

Sophie Grijalva (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola High School) led the way for the Mustangs, finishing 41st overall with a time of 24:19.0. Grijalva was the first WNMU runner to cross the finish line and set the pace for the Mustangs throughout the race.

Juliana Castillo (Albuquerque, NM/Rio Grande High School) was next for WNMU, finishing 54th overall with a time of 25:12.3. Marissa Hernandez (Mesa, AZ/Chandler High School) followed closely behind, placing 56th with a time of 25:22.2.
Jeanette Rivera finished 58th overall, crossing the finish line in 25:27.1.

Rivera finished just over four seconds behind Hernandez, helping the Mustangs maintain a close group among their scoring runners.

Nevaeh Escobedo (El Paso, TX/Canutillo High School) rounded out the Mustangs' top five, finishing 94th overall with a time of 28:09.2. With five runners contributing to the team score, WNMU finished the meet with 243 points to place ninth overall.

The Texas Tech Open gave the Mustangs another opportunity to compete against a strong field and continue gaining experience as the season progresses. The team will look to build from this performance as it prepares for its upcoming meets and continues working toward the championship portion of the 2026 cross country season.