CONWAY, Ark. – The University of the Incarnate Word men's and women's cross country teams competed at the Southland Conference Championships Friday morning finishing sixth and fifth respectively.
NOTABLES
- The women competing today all set a personal best in a 6K.
- Alia Henderson led the women's squad with a 10th place finish.
- The men's team was led by Armando Villarreal with a personal best 24:53.4.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Women's Team
Alia Henderson, the top finisher for the Cardinals, crossed the finish line with a time of 21:51.0, placing tenth overall. All eight women competing today all set personal bests while running a 6K. Three other Cardinals placed in the top 25 with seniors Megan Hernandez (16th), Katherine Ramirez (23rd) and freshman Maryn DeMaio (24th).
Henderson was named Second Team All-Conference.
The Men's Team
The men's team was led once again by freshman Armando Villarreal who finished 17th overall clocking in at a personal best, 24:53.4. Sophomore Spencer Herbstritt followed shortly after crossing the finish line at 25:23.3 in 32nd place. Steven Quintanilla, Christopher Gonzalez, and Cash Kunkel finished as a pack shortly after Herbstritt taking 35th, 36th and 37th respectively.
QUOTING COACH DEREK RIEDEL
On the men's team:
"The men came into to the conference meet running really confidently and well. We knew it would be a tight battle between 2-7. Even though we were lining up 5 freshmen and 3 sophomores, we had as good a shot at runner-up as anyone. Unfortunately, we made some tactical errors early in the race and paid for it. The men never gave up though. They gained valuable experience that will pay off big time really soon."
"What is so exciting for me is that this young group of men has more potential than the record-breaking group we just graduated. They are further along than our last group and they know what it takes to compete for a title next year."
On the women's team:
"These ladies have shown what true perseverance is! They have gotten better week-by-week and overcame some key injuries that hurt our depth. But, it didn't damper their fortitude. Seven of the eight women had significant PRs today and we kept a strong pack. In fact, they dropped their team average from 22:48 two weeks ago to 22:08. I think the ladies will be even better in two weeks at regionals!"
"This will be a special group during track season. We set the training up to use cross country as a platform for success in the spring when we put the full team together. I'm beyond grateful for this wonderful group of men and women. They are a pleasure to work with."
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will travel the top seven from both the men's and the women's teams to the NCAA South Central Regional in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday Nov. 9.
FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up to date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook.
Follow the team on Twitter @UIWTrackXC and on Instagram @uiwtrackxc.
