PORTALES, N.M. – The final regular season meet for Eastern New Mexico cross country is tomorrow at New Mexico Junior College. Before the start of the race, please look at the Five Mile Preview:
Mile One – Runner-Up Hounds: Eastern New Mexico men's cross country took second among four teams at last week's Greyhound Invite. The group was led by four freshmen. Those include
Bryan Hernandez (29:34.3),
Justin Sauceda (30:15.7),
Jackson Gable (30:25.4), and
Thomas Aerdts (31:44.3). The fifth finisher for ENMU was
Brian Norton who crossed the line in 32:12.4. Also competing for Eastern was
Ethan Woodrome who completed the race in 32:46.9.
Mile Two – Conference Outlook: Greyhound women's cross country faced off against two other Lone Star Conference foes at the Greyhound Invite. Overall, they took third among five programs and second out of the three LSC teams. ENMU's top three runners outbeat the leader for UT Permian Basin and both 4/5 competitors for both sides stayed tightly grouped throughout the race. Eastern New Mexico was guided by
Elizabeth Lujan-Towles (25:33.7),
Sylvia Lagat (25:53.9),
Sanne Janssen (25:58.9),
Valentina Rocabado Salazar (30:27.9), and
Faith Jepchirchir (31:18.5).
Mile Three – History in Hobbs: The last time ENMU cross country went to a meet at New Mexico Junior College came in 2019. The men's team finished fifth out of nine teams and the women's program took third out of seven teams in the meet. Three different women finishers placed in the top-15 in the 5k competition. The men's program was led by a 26:16.24 result in the 8k.
Mile Four – On Course: New Mexico Junior College's course is at Harry McAdams Park. The women's race begins at 9 a.m. while the men's starts at 9:45 a.m. The course has some grassy terrain with little elevation. The park sits northwest of the Rockwinds Community Links Golf Course and has two small bodies of water in the middle of the park. The fastest 5k on the course this season has been 17:43.6 and the quickest 8k is 23:30.7. Both times were met during the first NMJC meet of the season. This meet will mark the third ran by the institution in 2024.
Mile Five – Keep An Eye: ENMU will send nine runners to the race. Five will run for the women and four will compete for the men. Those include Gable, Hernandez, Sauceda, and Woodrome for the men and Janssen, Jepchirchir, Lagat, Lujan-Towles, and Rocabado Salazar for the women. Hernandez holds the top time in the 8k for ENMU this season - 27:59.4. Lujan-Towles has the best 5k time for the Hounds at 20:00.0.
