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 kicked off its postseason with a historic showing at the Lone Star Conference Championships in Fort Worth, as both the men's and women's teams claimed program-best third-place finishes. The Patriots combined for five All-Conference honors, and freshman Grayson Williams became just the second athlete in program history to be named Freshman of the Year.

The Patriot men delivered their strongest conference performance to date, placing third with 93 points after finishing sixth a year ago. David Soto led the way with an eighth-place finish in 25:18, maintaining a top-10 position for most of the race. Williams followed closely in 10th at 25:22, capping off a breakout rookie campaign. Austin Ponder (20th), Dylan Navarette (25th), and Chris Kopecky (30th) rounded out a consistent top-five that secured the Patriots' best team result since their season-opening win at the UT Tyler Cross Country Opener.

On the women's side, UT Tyler continued its remarkable rise, taking third with 80 points—just three shy of runner-up DBU—and earning the program's first-ever trio of All-Conference honorees. Kailynn Denney paced the squad in sixth place (21:43), becoming the first Patriot woman to earn All-Conference recognition since joining the LSC. Macy Cogburn and Finley Hunting joined her on the podium with eighth- and 11th-place finishes, respectively, while Gracie Ladner (16th) and Adison Richard (39th) rounded out the scoring group to seal a record-setting team effort.

THE NCAA SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

This year's regional championships will be held in Pueblo, Colorado, hosted by CSU Pueblo. A total of 26 women's teams and 24 men's teams will compete, including 12 programs from the Lone Star Conference.

The races will take place at Walking Stick Golf Course, with the women's 6K set for 11 a.m. CDT and the men's 10K scheduled for 12:15 p.m. CDT.

The top three teams in both the men's and women's races will automatically qualify for the NCAA National Championships. In addition, the top two individuals from non-qualifying teams, along with any runners finishing in the top five overall, will also advance. Ten at-large teams and eight at-large individuals will be selected by the NCAA Cross Country Committee to complete the national field.