Five Lone Star Conference cross country took home team titles last week with Texas A&M International’s men and women, UT Permian Basin’s men, Eastern New Mexico’s women and UT Tyler’s men earning top honors. TAMIU’s Malvin Boen and UTPB’s Erik Flores took home individual titles on the men’s site, and Dorcus Kosgei earned a first-place individual finish for ENMU’s women.
 
    LSC cross country results are available here: https://www.tfrrs.org/leagues/1392.html.
 
Lone Star Conference Cross Country Championships
The 2021 LSC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships will take place Saturday, October 23, in Lawton, Oklahoma at the Big Green Soccer Complex hosted by Cameron. The championships will consist of a 6-kilometer race for the women at 9:30 a.m. followed by an 8-kilometer race for the men at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit LSC Cross Country Championships Central.
 
RUNNERS OF THE WEEK
MEN’S
Malvin Boen, Texas A&M International, JR, Kinesiology, Eldoret, Kenya, Paul Boit Boys HS
Boen secured a victory in the Dustdevils final meet before the LSC Cross Country Championships at the OLLU Invitational. In addition to his individual win, Boen set the TAMIU record running the fastest 8-kilometer race in Dustdevil history, breaking the tape in 24:27.8. Boen and the Dustdevils also took home the team win.
 
WOMEN’S
Kenya Bailey, Oklahoma Christian, JR, Nursing, Ponca City, Okla., Midwest City HS
Bailey recorded her third top-two individual performance of the cross country season, finishing second in a personal-best time of 17:47.09 over 5-kilometers in the Tiger Open, hosted by Fort Hays State at Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria, Kan. She led her team to a ninth-place finish among a loaded 17-team field. Among the teams competing in the meet were No. 1-ranked Adams State and No. 25 Northwest Missouri State. Earlier this season, Bailey won the Aggie Duels in Lawton, Okla., and the Chile Pepper Festival’s Prairie Fire race in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
MEN’S
Cody Fountain, Texas A&M-Kingsville, FR, Environmental Engineering, Portland, Texas, Gregory-Portland
Fountain paced his way to a fifth-place finish at the OLLU Invitational thanks to an average mile time of 5:03.3. Additionally, his total time of 25:06.7 etches his name in the Javelina record books as his time represents the third-fastest 8-kilometer time ever by a member of the Blue and Gold.
 
WOMEN’S
Victorine Kiprop, Texas A&M International, FR, Nursing, Eldoret, Kenya, Metkei Girls HS
Kiprop had a fantastic showing for the Dustdevils at the OLLU Invitational, leading TAMIU both individually and to the team victory. Kiprop placed 2nd in the 6-kilometer meet with a time of 22:29.0 for her second top-five finish of the season.
 
WEEKLY AWARDS
Men’s
S-8       Innocent Murwanashyaka, West Texas A&M
S-15     Colten Brown, Oklahoma Christian
S-22     Erik Flores, UT Permian Basin
S-29     Cody Hepker, Western New Mexico
O-6      Innocent Murwanashyaka, West Texas A&M (2)
O-13    Malvin Boen, Texas A&M International
 
Women’s
S-8       Florance Uwajeneza, West Texas A&M
S-15     Kenya Bailey, Oklahoma Christian
S-22     Florance Uwajeneza, West Texas A&M (2)
S-29     Victoria Hinojosa, St. Edward's
O-6      Florance Uwajeneza, West Texas A&M (3)
O-13    Kenya Bailey, Oklahoma Christian (2)
 
Men’s Freshman
S-8       Gustavo Posada, West Texas A&M
S-15     Alex Speer, Texas A&M-Commerce
S-22     Hector Sanchez, UT Permian Basin
S-29     Aaron Perez, Western New Mexico
O-6      Gustavo Posada, West Texas A&M (2)
O-13    Cody Fountain, Texas A&M-Kingsville
 
Women’s Freshman
S-8       Marta Pascoa, Eastern New Mexico
S-15     Emme O'Donnell, DBU
S-22     Emme O'Donnell, DBU (2)
S-29     Odette Fernandez, Texas A&M-Kingsville
O-6      Betty Bajika, West Texas A&M
O-13    Victorine Kiprop, Texas A&M International
 
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
    Colten Brown, Oklahoma Christian, posted a top-20 finish, placing 19th among 183 runners in the Tiger Open, hosted by Fort Hays State at Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria, Kan. He covered the 8,000 meters in a time of 24:49.83, the second-fastest of his collegiate career at that distance. Among the teams competing in the meet were No. 3 Adams State and No. 21 Northwest Missouri State.
 
    Erik Flores, UT Permian Basin, continues to dominate as he took first place in the Men's Cross Country DII Preview in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday morning. It's the second straight win for Flores, who took home first place in Abilene three weeks ago. Flores won the 8K race with a time of 25:04.58, leading his team to victory in the overall event. He won the race ahead of second place by 31 seconds and third place by one minute and 42 seconds.
Angel Contreras, UT Tyler, led the Patriots with a second-place finish and helped lead the team to the team title at the Mississippi College/ Watson Invitational. In a field of 22 teams, including top-level Division I and Division II schools, Contreras ran a time of 25:18.8. That time will go down as the fastest 8K run in UT Tyler school history.
 
    Nicodemus Rotich, Texas A&M-Commerce, the reigning Lone Star Conference champion, made his debut on Saturday at Alabama-Huntsville and ran a time of 25:23.33 in the 8-kilometer race.
 
    Natasha Carcano, UT Tyler, placed in ninth overall at the Mississippi College/ Watson Invitational. In a field that featured 19 teams from the Division I and Division II levels. Her time of 23:28.6 was a new personal best by 20 seconds. The ninth-place finish would also prove vital as it helped lead the Patriots to a seventh-place overall team finish.
 
    Dorcas Kosgei, Eastern New Mexico, claimed the individual title at the Division II South Central Preview and helped her team finish 1st in a field of seven teams. The Eldoret, Kenya native, crossed the line with a time of 19:31.1 and was 19 seconds faster than the next runner in the 52 runner field.
 
    Katelyn Matthews, Texas A&M-Commerce, ran a time of 19:43.60 in the five-kilometer race at Alabama-Huntsville, finishing with the best time on the team, which is her personal best this season.
 
    Hector Sanchez, UT Permian Basin, finished in second place at the DII Preview in Lubbock, TX on Saturday. Sanchez recorded a time of 25:35.12 and finished one minute and 11 seconds ahead of third-place during the 8K race. He also helped his team finish in first place overall in the event.
 
    Alex Speer, Texas A&M-Commerce, clocked in a time of 25:34.08 in the 8-kilometer race at Alabama-Huntsville to finished second on the team.
 
    Odette Fernandez, Texas A&M-Kingsville, recorded a 10th-place finish at the OLLU Cross Country Invitational, with her time of 23:38.1 now sitting fifth all-time in the Javelina record books. Additionally, Fernandez led her team for the fourth straight week, with the team finishing fifth overall.