PUEBLO, COLORADO – UT Tyler continued its postseason run with another strong showing at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships, as both programs turned in competitive efforts against one of the nation's toughest Division II fields. The Patriot women placed 13th out of 26 teams with 390 points in the 6K race, while the men finished 15th out of 24 with 438 points in the 10K.
The Patriots men posted a significant improvement from last season's 18th-place finish, climbing three spots in the team standings while defeating seven Lone Star Conference opponents. Junior David Soto once again led the charge, crossing the line in 31:13.1 to finish 23rd overall and record the program's best individual regional finish since joining Division II. Aiden Faz and Dylan Navarette ran nearly stride for stride, finishing 93rd (33:25.3) and 95th (33:26.1), respectively, to provide key depth for the Patriots top-five. Andres Rios added a 33:51.6 mark for 107th, while Chris Kopecky (34:19.3) and Austin Ponder (34:35.7) closed out the scoring group alongside standout freshman Grayson Williams (34:35.8), who adds to an impressive debut season that included Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year honors.
The Patriots women also took a major step forward, improving from last year's 16th-place finish to 13th overall while topping eight LSC programs in the process. The finish marked the program's best regional performance since joining Division II. Finley Hunting led the way in 43rd with a time of 22:13.3, pacing the team with a strong close over the final kilometer. Macy Cogburn followed in 55th (22:36.2), while Gracie Ladner posted a 22:56.0 mark to finish inside the top 75. Adison Richard (23:47.4) and Giselle Alejandro (23:59.8) rounded out the scoring five, with Calista Turner (24:24.3) also turning in a solid effort to complete UT Tyler's lineup.
Both squads have put together record-setting seasons marked by consistent improvement and historic finishes. They now await the NCAA Division II selection announcement to see if their postseason journey will continue with an at-large bid to nationals.
