LUBBOCK, TEXAS – UT Tyler cross country delivered a pair of sixth-place team finishes at the 2026 Lone Star Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, with both the men's and women's teams finishing inside the top half of their respective fields.
The Patriots' men collected 164 points to finish sixth among 14 teams in the 8K, while the women's squad totaled 193 points to place sixth among 15 teams in the 6K. Both teams placed five runners inside the top 56, led by top-30 individual performances from Andres Rios and Finley Hunting.
The UT Tyler men were paced by Rios, who finished 23rd overall out of 100 competitors with a time of 25:38.7. Aaron Smith was the second Patriot across the line, placing 33rd with a time of 26:01.1.
Miguel Cedillo followed closely behind in 38th place, recording a time of 26:05.1, while Kason Miles finished 42nd in 26:18.8. Mason Reed rounded out the Patriots' scoring five with a 45th-place finish in 26:24.5.
UT Tyler also received contributions from Braden Smith and Kevin Velazquez, who finished 53rd and 56th, respectively. Smith crossed the line in 26:31.8, while Velazquez recorded a time of 26:34.9.
On the women's side, Hunting led the Patriots with a 29th-place finish among 100 competitors in the 6K, crossing the line in 23:29.9. Macy Cogburn was close behind, finishing 32nd overall with a time of 23:36.3.
Giselle Alejandro secured a 40th-place finish with a time of 23:56.2 to give the Patriots three runners inside the top 40. Gracie Ladner and Zoey Broaddus finished nearly side by side, placing 55th and 56th, respectively. Ladner recorded a time of 24:38.9, while Broaddus finished in 24:39.8.
Both UT Tyler squads finished sixth in competitive Lone Star Conference fields, with the men's team placing five runners inside the top 45 and the women's team placing five inside the top 56. The Patriots closed out their conference championship performances with strong depth across both lineups.
