2024-2025: Cross Country – ran in all 6 XC meets for ACU, including a 13th place finish at the Gerald Richey Invitational in Arlington early in the season. Once the championship season started, Mark finished 28th at the WAC Championship held in Orem, UT (the 6th best freshman in the field) and 90th at the South Central Regional held in College Station. He was the #2 finisher for ACU in 5 of the 6 races, including both championship races. Indoors – ran in 4 meets on the indoor season, finishing 7th in the TTU Red Raider Invitational mile with a personal best of 4:19.29. At the WAC Indoor Championship, Mark finished 20 th in the 3K (a personal best time of 8:43.49) and ran the anchor 1600-meter leg on ACU’s 3rd place distance medley relay. Outdoors – competed in 7 meets on the season, with an emphasis on the steeplechase – finishing 3rd in both the ACU Wes Kittley Invitational and the Michael Johnson, and an 11th place finish in the steeple at the Texas Relays. He would top off his year by getting 7th place at the WAC Outdoor Championship in a personal best time of 9:19.38. During the season, Mark also received WAC All-Academic honors in XC, indoor track and outdoor track.

Before ACU: During his HS senior season, Mark went to the 6A State XC meet and placed 60 th . Turning to the track in the spring at the District 1-6A meet, Mark won the 800 and finished 2 nd in the 1600. At the Region I-6A meet, he would place 6 th in the 800 and 7 th in the 1600. His times in the 1600 put him #52 in the 1600 and #62 in the 800 for all HS students in Texas. After his HS graduation, Mark had great success at the USATF Junior Olympics Championship in College Station competing for the El Paso Wings Track Club. He successfully defended his 2000 meter steeplechase title In the 17-18 year old division (he would finish with the #16 fastest steeplechase time in the nation for HS age athletes), and placed 3rd in the 1500 and 4 th in the 3K. During her HS junior season, at the Region 1-6A meet, Mark would place 5th in the 800 and 7th in the 1600. In the summer of 2023, at the USATF Junior Olympics Championships run in
Eugene, OR, competing in the 17-18 division, he won the 2000 meter steeplechase, and 4 th in the 1500 and 7th in the 3k. Mark has all time bests of 1:55.16 in the 800, 3:59.55 in the 1500 and 6:07.66 in the 2k steeplechase.

Personal: Mark graduated Pebble Hills HS in El Paso on in the spring of 2024, academically ranked in the top 10% of his graduating class. At ACU, he will major in Business Management and was recipient of three academic scholarships – Entrepreneur Scholarship, COBA Business Professionals Scholarship and the John C. Stevens Award. His parents are Mark and Angelica Barajas and he has one sister, Mia. He is also an active volunteer at his home church, Calvary Chapel-El Paso.

"I loved the culture at ACU. The track/cross country team was very welcoming, especially Coach Nathan (Meeuwenberg). I get an opportunity to grow in my faith, education, and in my athletic abilities in a Christian-led environment."

"[My favorite thing at ACU is] the culture, the COBA program, the people we met made me feel right at home, and the Christian-led environment."