Badger cross country teams finish season in top-20 at nationals

Four Lady Badgers saved their best for last on Saturday at the NJCAA Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.

And without their No. 2 runner in the lineup, the Amarillo College men’s team proved to be a top 20 team in the country yet again.

“We showed tremendous improvement throughout the season and gave it all we had at nationals,” Amarillo College head coach Sean Hargrove said. “The four personal records by the women’s team were a testament to their dedication in practice. The men’s team did great as well, especially considering we were without Jerin, our No. 2 runner for most of the season.”

Sophomore Ariyah Gomez led the AC women’s team to a 19th place finish via the second fastest 5K time of her career (19 minutes 24 seconds). The Randall High graduate placed 44th in a field of 180 competitors.

Fellow Randall alum and sophomore Romie Rubio shaved 28 seconds off her personal-record mark, which she set two weeks prior. Rubio placed 92nd with a time of 20:36.

Rubie Trevino, Elaina Arredondo, and Alexia Alvarez clocked personal-record times in the final 5K race of the season.

Trevino placed 103rd (20:59), Arredondo took 148th (22:50), and Alvarez finished 150th (22:55).

Arredondo’s time marked the most significant improvement of the season for the Badgers. The freshman from Big Spring decreased her 5K time by 4 minutes 57 seconds over the course of the 2023 campaign.

The Amarillo College men’s team stayed true to their ranking heading into nationals (20th) despite not having Perkins in the lineup.

Sophomore Gabe Enriquez crossed the finish line in 73rd place, marking a 39-spot improvement from his first go-around at nationals in 2022. The Tascosa High alum led the Badger men’s squad to a 20th place finish.

Freshman Hugo Brinoes nabbed a top-100 finish by breaking the 27-minute barrier for the third time in 2023, crossing the finish line in 26:55. The Tulia High product placed 98th in a field of 199 athletes.

Christian Rosales, a freshman from Amarillo, clocked the third-fastest time on the Badger men’s team. Rosales took 112th (27:20) and was within 7 seconds of setting a personal-record mark.

Sophomore Isael Giron, a Randall High grad, took 143rd, followed by fellow former Raider Colton Thurman (150th).

Xavier Soto placed 181st to round out all AC competitors.