ABILENE – Running on the ACU XC course at Zoe Park, the Wildcats hosted the Naimadu Classic that saw the men win and the women finish second in the team standings.
MEN
ACU won the meet, scoring 20 points, over second-place Western Texas College and third-place Odessa College (ranked #5 in the preseason NJCAA poll) in the 6K race. Justus Soget Kiplagat, from Odessa College, who won the NJCAA indoor 5K last year, was the winner. But, ACU sophomore Andruw Villa and redshirt senior Kevin Castuita were just
seconds behind the OC runner. ACU also placed four additional runners – Mark Barajas, Matthew Engle, Carlos Cortez, and Vincent Luffey – in the top 10. Both Barajas and Cortez bested their times over the same course from last year. The goal of having the top ACU runners running tightly packed was achieved, as only 25 seconds separated the top 6 Wildcats.
2. Andruw Villa – 18:30.3
3. Kevin Castuita – 18:34.9
5. Mark Barajas – 18:46.5
6. Matthew Engle – 18:46.7
7. Carlos Cortez – 18:46.8
10. Vincent Luffey – 18:55.3
13. Benjamin Castro – 19:11.2
15. Mikhail Fortner – 19:24.8
21. Evan Martin – 19:56.8
25. JP Trook – 20:10.3
WOMEN
The Wildcats finished second in the team race to Odessa College, a team ranked #1 in the NJCAA preseason poll. OC's Millicent Wafula, who was the high point scorer at the NJCAA outdoor championships last spring, won the race. ACU sophomore Hannah Kasper was the only non-OC runner to break into the top-5, as she finished in fourth. ACU had eight other runners finish in the top 15, with transfer Chloe McLellan and freshmen Sidney Windham and Saylor Stevenson running second and fourth for the Wildcats. Several returnees – Hadley Phillips, Madison Anderson, and Lola Buentello – all ran faster times than last year's times over the same course. McLellan also ran a quicker time than she ran last year when competing for McMurry. Like the men, the ACU women's
The goal of running in a tight pack was achieved as only 36 seconds separated the number one and number six finishers over the 4K race.
4. Hannah Kasper – 15:00.9
8. Chloe McLellan – 15:11.5
9. Sidney Windham – 15:17.9
10. Saylor Stevenson – 15:21.3
11. Hadley Phillips – 15:23.1
12. Madison Anderson – 15:36.9
13. Lola Buentello – 15:53.1
14. Alyssa Quinones – 15:55.1
15. Kate Williams – 16:11.4
Next up for the Wildcats will be the Gerald Richey Invitational next Friday, September 5, which will be run over the same course at UTA that will host the WAC Championship at the end of October.
