THE 2024 SEASON
 
The Patriots return a solid core of experience, strengthened by the influx of young talent added to both the men's and women's programs over the past two years.

On the men's side, UT Tyler raced to a second-place finish at the UT Tyler Cross Country Opener last year, placing five runners inside the top 15. Leading the way was David Soto, who, now a junior, clocked a 20:10.10 to win the individual title by 13 seconds—his first collegiate victory. Soto carried that momentum into the Lone Star Conference Championships, where the Patriots finished sixth as a team and he secured seventh place in the 8K with a time of 24:29.11, earning All-LSC honors.

The women claimed the team title at their UT Tyler Cross Country Opener, placing four runners inside the top 10. Kailynn Denney paced the squad with a fourth-place finish in 20:11.91. That strong form carried into the LSC Championships, where the team finished eighth overall. Freshman standout Macy Cogburn capped off an impressive debut season by placing 20th in 22:33.39.
 

THE LSC PRESEASON POLL
 
The 2025 LSC Preseason Cross Country Poll was released last week, and the Patriots were picked 6^th on the men's side and 7^th on the women's side. The men's side garnered 282 total points, where they were 39 behind 5^th place pick Texas A&M International. The women's side grabbed 308 total points, just 17 behind 6^th place pick Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 

LAST TIME OUT

UT Tyler cross country wrapped up competition at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with both the men's and women's teams earning strong showings and finishing ahead of multiple regional opponents.

On the men's side, the Patriots matched their 13th-place finish from a year ago, totaling 369 points in a competitive 8K field. Junior David Soto once again led the charge, clocking a time of 24:54.2 to place 39th overall and record his third consecutive top team finish of the season. His mark was four seconds faster than his performance at last year's Jamboree and remains among the top times in the Lone Star Conference this fall.

Freshman Grayson Williams continued his impressive debut campaign with a 73rd-place finish in 25:03.8, while sophomore Chris Kopecky (26:23.9) and junior Austin Ponder (26:24.6) crossed the line just a second apart in 114th and 115th place, respectively. Freshman Kason Miles rounded out the scoring in 131st with a time of 26:45.5. As a team, the Patriots finished comfortably ahead of LSC rivals Lubbock Christian and Oklahoma Christian, widening the gap to 97 and 127 points, respectively.

The women's squad also turned in an encouraging performance, securing 14th place overall with 395 points in their first 6K race of the season. Sophomore Macy Cogburn led the way in 87th, running 22:45.1 for 62 points — improving by over 20 seconds from last year's Jamboree. Gracie Ladner followed closely in 102nd, cutting nearly a full minute from her 2023 time with a 23:01.9 finish.

Freshman Adison Richard (23:19.2), junior Kailynn Denney (23:23.4), and freshman Giselle Alejandro (23:52.2) rounded out the scoring group, helping UT Tyler finish ahead of both Oklahoma Christian and Lubbock Christian in the team standings.

THE FALL 2025 SLATE LEFT
 
This will be the last regular season meet before the 2025 LSC Championships will be on October 25 and hosted by DBU in Fort Woth, Texas. The NCAA South Central Regional will take place in Pueblo, Colorado on November 8, and the NCAA Championships will be in Kenosha, Wisconsin on November 22.

DBU OLD GLORY GALLOP

This week's event has become a staple on the Patriots' schedule since the program began its transition to Division II, as DBU once again hosts the annual meet at AP Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas. The men will compete in an 8K race, while the women take on a 5K course—both familiar distances for UT Tyler this season.

The field is loaded with talent, featuring 46 teams on the women's side and 43 on the men's side, including several of the top programs from across Texas. The meet will also provide the Patriots with a valuable final look at conference foes—Angelo State, Cameron, DBU, Eastern New Mexico, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas A&M International, UT Dallas, Western New Mexico, Midwestern State, and UT Permian Basin—before returning to the same venue later this month for the Lone Star Conference Championships.