Meet Results WT Results Photo Gallery (to be updated throughout the evening) LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Coming in as the 17
th ranked squad in the nation, the West Texas A&M men's cross country team earned a hard fought 11
th place team finish in Saturday morning's NCAA Division II National Championship in Louisville, Ky. The Buffs' showing today marks the best national finish in program history as they were led by three top-50 performers.
Saturday's race was held at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in Louisville and was co-hosted by the Louisville Sports Commission and Bellarmine University. The events was part of the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival which also featured championship events for field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer, women's cross country, and volleyball.
The men's race would officially be marked as a 9.56K distance; however, times should represent for many a closer mark to the originally routed 10K that was shortened due to extreme weather conditions in the area this week as the course featured deep mud and standing water throughout.
"I'm really proud of this group of guys for what they've accomplished this season," stated head coach
Darren Flowers. "The conditions may have been adverse but how we prepare physically and mentally make tough conditions an advantage for us. Mental fortitude and resilience are what you need to bring forth in championships like this and they displayed those qualities today. I really appreciate this group of seniors for their leadership and poise and for setting a great example of service and gratitude for the next generation of WT cross country runners."
The Buffs finished 11
th as a team, three spots better than their 14
th place finish in 2013. Their final score would reflect 303 points as they were the fourth team to finish from the strong South Central Region, only trailing now three-time champions Adams State, Colorado Mines, and Western State. WT's 1-5 runner gap was an impressive 54 seconds, the fifth best of all 32 teams competing as they also held an average time of 32:00.24.
Leading the way for the Buffs was freshman standout
Geoffrey Kipchumba who crossed the line in 46
th place (40 points) with a time of 31:39.60. Also placing in top-50 were seniors
Brett Villarreal (47
th, 41 points, 31:40.50) and
Baptiste Moreu (48
th, 42 points, 31:40.80). Rounding out WT's scorers were junior
Cameron Gifford (98
th, 84 points, 32:26.30) and senior
Armando Rueda (112
th, 96 points, 32:34.00). Freshman
Steve Lagat would follow in 127
th place (109 points) with a time of 32:43.90 while junior
Zach Daniel placed 152
nd (133 points), a nearly 70-spot improvement from last season, crossing the line at 33:04.50.
"It's tough realizing now that my WT cross country career is officially over and that I missed All-American barely," added Villarreal. "But I can't be upset because I was part of something that will never be replicated. I was part of something with people I'll never forget, and people I'll always be brothers with. If there is one thing I took away from this, it's that no matter what, the team is always greater and there to pick you up."
Though the cross country season may now be over, the Buffs and Lady Buffs will be back in action on Jan. 16-17, 2015, as WT begins the new indoor track & field season at the Texas Tech Open in Lubbock, Texas.
