Strong Showing for Crusaders at Mustang Invitational
WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The University of Dallas men's cross country team competed in the Mustang Invitational 8k this morning aginst a field of strong NAIA, NJCAA, and Division II programs. The Crusaders finished seventh out of eight teams with a total score of 165 points. They missed out on potential points, as Luke LaCour was unavailable for today's race. Thomas Lagarde paced the team, finishing in 14th place out of the field of 62 runners. His final time of 27:33.2 was just five seconds off his personal best, which he set in the USCAA National Championships in 2019 with a time of 27:28.
The Crusaders enjoyed the cooler temparatures and the nice, flat course, as every other runner for UD set a new personal record. Marty Nelligan finished in 28:50.8, Ethan Reyes in 29:44.5, James LaTour in 30:51.4, and Nico Waltz in 30:56.6, all new PR's in the 8k.
"We had a very good day today. With the strong competition, today's focus was more so on improving times, and we did that. It was probably the best race of the year for the team, it seems like they really got their groove going," said head coach Nick Schneigert.
The Crusaders final regular season race is next Saturday, Oct. 16. They will compete in the Bill Libby Invitational hosted by McMurry University.