FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The UT Tyler cross country teams competed at the Chile Pepper XC Festival on Saturday, with the men racing in the Men McDonnell Memorial 8K and the women competing in the Women Harter's Habanero 5K at the University of Arkansas.

The UT Tyler men finished 14th out of 26 teams in the McDonnell Memorial 8K, led by Miguel Cedillo, who posted a time of 25:34.8 to finish 50th overall.

Brayden Smith followed closely behind with a 25:55.2 finish to place 73rd, while Kason Miles crossed the line in 26:05.3 for 87th. Andres Rios finished 98th overall with a time of 26:14.7, and Mason Reed rounded out the Patriots' scoring five by placing 103rd in 26:20.4.

The Patriots' top five runners finished within 45.6 seconds of one another, helping UT Tyler secure 14th place in a field that featured 26 teams.

On the women's side, the Patriots placed 17th out of 28 teams in the Harter's Habanero 5K.

Finley Hunting led the way for UT Tyler, finishing 78th overall with a time of 18:04.7. Gracie Ladner followed with an 18:17.9 performance to place 95th, while Giselle Alejandro crossed the finish line in 18:31.7 for 116th.

Zoey Broaddus was the fourth Patriot across the line, recording a time of 19:03.7 to finish 163rd overall. Calista Turner completed the Patriots' scoring five with a time of 19:08.5, placing 168th.

The UT Tyler women also had a tight group among their top five, with all five scoring runners finishing within 1:03.8 of one another as the Patriots placed 17th among 28 teams.

The Chile Pepper XC Festival provided both Patriot squads with another opportunity to compete against a large and diverse field as the season continues. The men's and women's teams will now turn their attention to their next competition, the DBU Old Glory Gallup.

UT Tyler will return to action on Oct. 17 at the DBU Old Glory Gallup in Dallas, Texas.