COLLEGE STATION, TX – The Abilene Christian University (ACU) men's cross country team raced at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station on Friday, Oct. 18. The men's 8k started early at 8:30 a.m. with the women's 6k quickly starting right after at 9:15 a.m. Freshman Andruw Villa created history the morning of the race and will set a new precedent for Cross Country at ACU.
Individual Highlights:
Leading the way for the Wildcats was Villa, who put together an impressive performance, finishing 19th overall with a time of 23:11.1. Villa has made ACU history, breaking the ACU record for running an 8k. The record was first set by Nicodemus Naimadu in 2007 at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree, with a time of 23:46.0. Villa made steady progress throughout the season, with his time at the Arturo Barrios Invitational being monumental for the team and Villa's finish.
The Wildcats made their way to the finish shortly after:
- Mark Barajas finished 175th with a time of 24:44.4.
- Carlos Cortez, who placed 192nd and clocked 24:51.4.
- Vincent Luffey, who finished 206th with a time of 24:55.5.
- Mikhail Fortner finished with almost a flat time of 25:00.1
- Benjamin Castro placed 239th with a time of 25:11.4.
- Ethan Rodriguez finished 307th timing a 25:46.7.
- JP Trook closed out the ACU lineup that with a 346th-place finish in 27:00.9.
Team Performance:
The ACU men's team placed 27th overall, with the first 7 finishers totaling their time of 2:02:42 and an average time of 24:32:50. Villa's top-20 finish highlighted the day for the Wildcats, and the team's competitive showing provides momentum as they look toward the WAC Championships.
On the women's side, they also took on a talented field at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, racing in the 6K event. The Wildcats showed determination, building valuable experience for the future.
Individual Highlights:
The women's team was led by Katelyn Coldicott, who finished 196th with a time of 21:57.2, pacing the team with a strong, steady effort throughout the race. Close behind her was:
- Hannah Kasper crossed the line in 209th place with a time of 22:06.1.
- Peyton Bornstein finished 218th with a time of 22:09.6.
- Kate Williams came in at 241st with a time of 22:22.6.
- Audrey Chitwood, who placed 259th with a time of 22:33.1.
- Hadley Phillips, placed 274th with a time of 22:43.8.
- Charley Hamilton finished up the Wildcats' last counted time at 23:13.3, which finished her in 316th.
- The last Wildcat to finish in the women's 6k was Kyla Fuller, who finished 364th with a time of 24:13.0.
Team Performance:
The ACU women's team placed 35th overall, with a total time of 1:51:08 and an average time of 22:13:72. While facing top programs, the Wildcats showed resilience, and their performance offers a solid foundation as they prepare for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship.
The Cross Country WAC Championship will be hosted by Utah Valley this year and will be taking place on November 1. The Wildcats have a few weeks before the Championships come around and will have their eyes on the price to take the title.
