T-Bird Women Place 4th at Texas Tech Open 5k

The New Mexico Junior College women's cross country team came in fourth place with 119 points on a drenched course at the Texas Tech Open 5k. The T-Birds finished behind West Texas A&M (42 points), Texas Tech (62 points), and Oklahoma (112 points).

Torrential downpours overnight soaked the LCU Cross Country course as the Thunderbirds readied for their race Friday morning. The feet were bound to get wet due to the flurry of large puddles that littered throughout the course.

Damaris Chewon overcame the wet conditions to become the top performer for NMJC in Lubbock, Texas. The sophomore navigated her way to a seventh-place finish in 23:13.30.

Jayne Elvin trotted across the finish line in 13th place with a time of 23:47.50. Vanessa Gallegos inserted herself into the third spot in the NMJC lineup with her 20th-place finish. The sophomore returner completed the race in 24:13.00. 

Carolyne Kimaiyo bested her twin sister Joan from UTEP to place 37th (25:05.00). Tyfane Martins was the final runner to count toward team score finishing the race in 44th place with a time of 25:21.80.

Sophomore Morgan Waltmire placed 70th overall in Lubbock after completing the race in 26:45.00. Freshman Francesca Alvarado ran across the line in 27:38.40 to finish the morning in 85th place. 

Daphne Kausz was the final competitor for the T-Birds. The freshman finished 94th overall (28:26.20). Freshman Lisanne Schapendonk did not run as she was out with injury this week.

The Thunderbird women were ranked No. 3 overall behind Salt Lake and Colby CC in the USTFCCCA NJCAA DI Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Poll (Week 1) released on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

The T-Birds will race in the NMJC Invitational Friday, Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. MDT in Hobbs, NM at Harry McAdams Park.