Friday, October 16
College Station, Texas
M: 8:15 a.m. | W: 8:50 a.m.
Abilene Christian
at
Arturo Barrios Invitational
Wildcats Compete at Arturo Barrios Invitational
10/16/2026 9:37:00 PM | Cross Country
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Abilene Christian cross country team battled the elements and a massive field of runners at Texas A&M's Arturo Barrios Invitational on Friday morning. Winds consistently blew from 25-35 miles per hour, and gusted past 40mph as 416 women ran and 380 competitors in the men's race.
The women's race featured a showdown between two nationally ranked teams as Arkansas narrowly beat United Athletic Conference member Eastern Kentucky. Tulane finished in third. Saylor Stevenson led the Wildcats in the 6K race with a personal best time of 21:56.1 to finish in 207th place. The other Wildcat scorers were Anna Vyn (22:20), Hannah Kasper (22:21.4), Emma Santoro (22:56.4), and Madelyn McFadden (24:51.4). The Wildcats finished in 44th place as a team. Besides EKU, other UAC teams competing included UT Arlington in 15th and Tarleton in 39th.
On the men's side, Adams State (ranked third in NCAA Division II) ran away from the field, with Appalachian State in 2nd and Houston finishing as the first South Central Region school in 3rd place. The winner of the race was Titus Kimaru of Texas Tech – the only Red Raider running in the men's race. Nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky only had one entry – Brian Kimutai – who finished in 8th place. The ACU men finished in 28th place, a few spots behind UTA in 22nd and ahead of Tarleton State in 31st. Mark Barajas again led the Wildcats, as he placed 95th with a personal record time of 24:23.3 over the 8K distance. The other scorers for ACU were Matthew Engle, with a personal record time of 25:01.8; Vincent Luffey, running a 25:11.8; Benjamin Castro, in a time of 25:41.4; and Austin Roberts, running a 25:54.8.
Coach Wayne Angel on today's meet
"I am extremely proud of both our men's and women's teams for competing with grit and determination in blustery conditions, with winds around 20 mph. Our Wildcats battled the elements and produced several personal bests. Saylor Stevenson broke the 22-minute barrier for the first time, with Anna Vyn, Hannah Kasper, Emma Santoro and Hanna Zweibel with personal bests.
"The men competed exceptionally well, Mark Barajas continues to impress with steady improvement each time out.
"Today showed the toughness, resilience, and competitive spirit of our teams. With a couple more recruiting classes, I believe we will be a formidable competitor in the UAC. The future is bright for ACU Cross Country!"
NEXT UP
ACU will next compete in the UAC Championships hosted by Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky. on Friday, Oct. 30.
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The women's race featured a showdown between two nationally ranked teams as Arkansas narrowly beat United Athletic Conference member Eastern Kentucky. Tulane finished in third. Saylor Stevenson led the Wildcats in the 6K race with a personal best time of 21:56.1 to finish in 207th place. The other Wildcat scorers were Anna Vyn (22:20), Hannah Kasper (22:21.4), Emma Santoro (22:56.4), and Madelyn McFadden (24:51.4). The Wildcats finished in 44th place as a team. Besides EKU, other UAC teams competing included UT Arlington in 15th and Tarleton in 39th.
On the men's side, Adams State (ranked third in NCAA Division II) ran away from the field, with Appalachian State in 2nd and Houston finishing as the first South Central Region school in 3rd place. The winner of the race was Titus Kimaru of Texas Tech – the only Red Raider running in the men's race. Nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky only had one entry – Brian Kimutai – who finished in 8th place. The ACU men finished in 28th place, a few spots behind UTA in 22nd and ahead of Tarleton State in 31st. Mark Barajas again led the Wildcats, as he placed 95th with a personal record time of 24:23.3 over the 8K distance. The other scorers for ACU were Matthew Engle, with a personal record time of 25:01.8; Vincent Luffey, running a 25:11.8; Benjamin Castro, in a time of 25:41.4; and Austin Roberts, running a 25:54.8.
Coach Wayne Angel on today's meet
"I am extremely proud of both our men's and women's teams for competing with grit and determination in blustery conditions, with winds around 20 mph. Our Wildcats battled the elements and produced several personal bests. Saylor Stevenson broke the 22-minute barrier for the first time, with Anna Vyn, Hannah Kasper, Emma Santoro and Hanna Zweibel with personal bests.
"The men competed exceptionally well, Mark Barajas continues to impress with steady improvement each time out.
"Today showed the toughness, resilience, and competitive spirit of our teams. With a couple more recruiting classes, I believe we will be a formidable competitor in the UAC. The future is bright for ACU Cross Country!"
NEXT UP
ACU will next compete in the UAC Championships hosted by Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky. on Friday, Oct. 30.
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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