DENVER, COLORADO – UT Tyler cross country posted a 16^th place finish for the women and an 18^th place finish for the men at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships to close out their 2024 seasons on a strong note.
 
The men would run first after a big delay due to snow in the Denver area, with their race finally starting at 3 p.m. central time.
 
The top time came from sophomore sensation David Soto, as he completed the 10K run in a time of 33:15.68. He finished 49^th overall in a crowded field and earned 49 points for his team.
 
Behind him was Aaron Smith, who ran his race in 35:02.47. He finished 96^th overall and picked up 96 points for the Patriots.
 
The final three scorers for the Patriots would finish 30 seconds apart and just 11 total positions apart to solidify the placement for the team. Leading that pack was Jacob Berryhill, who ran a time of 36:01.84 to place 121^st. Behind him was Alejandro Rosales, who ran his 10K in 36:12.44 to finish 123^rd. The final points scorer of the day for the men was Dylan Navarette, who ran a time of 36:31.63 to place 132^nd.
 
As a team the Patriots would clear LSC foes Oklahoma Christian, Cameron, and Texas A&M-Kingsville, and finished just 11 points behind Texas A&M-International for 17^th place.
 
Also competing for the Patriots on Saturday was Brandon Jimenez and Dakota Jimenez, who finished 138^th and 156^th, respectively, in times of 36:52.04 and 40:03.37.
 
The women's race was delayed until 4:15 p.m. CT after the snowfall in Denver, and the Patriots battled their way to a 16^th place finish.
 
Leading the charge for the Patriots women was Macy Cogburn. The freshman standout ran a time of 23:58.59 in the 6K run to place 56^th overall and earn 59 big points for the Patriots.
 
Behind Cogburn was the pair of Kailynn Denney and Finley Hunting who finished just four seconds apart. Denney ran a time of 24:37.92 to place 80^th overall, and Hunting ran a time of 24:41.73 to place 84^th overall.
 
The closing point scorers for the Patriots was another close finishing duo, this time being Elayna Metzger and Zoey Broaddus. Metzger ran a time of 25:52.98 for 118^th place, and Zoey Broaddus ran a time of 25:54.46 for 119^th place.
 
The Patriots as a team scored 457 points and took down LSC foes St. Edward's, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Western New Mexico, and Texas A&M International. They would finish sixth amongst LSC teams and just nine points back of Midwestern State for 15^th.