ARLINGTON, Texas - The Western Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 31 in Arlington, Texas, wrapped up a promising season for a talented young Southern Utah cross country program.
The men's team finished third in the field of seven with a low total of 92 points, and the women's team landed fourth with a score of 106. Between both teams, six individual racers finished in the WAC's top 20 and earned All-Conference honors.
The championship marks Southern Utah's final season in the WAC before it shifts to a new group of Big Sky Conference competitors.
Coach Eric Houle said:
"It was an absolutely fantastic meeting for both sides, with the men finishing third and the women finishing fourth. Despite being very young teams, we couldn't have asked for a better championship. The men's team came away with three all-conference athletes, and the women's team walked away with three all-conference athletes of the year as well."
Men's Recap
The men's team performed well, finishing only behind No. 17-ranked California Baptist University and a skilled Utah Valley University program. Their score of 92 placed them an impressive 37 points ahead of UT Arlington, the next team up.
Adding to his outstanding junior season, Logan Peel earned 11th with an 8K time of 24:19.4. Freshmen stars Amit Cohen and Jacob Jones followed closely behind, finishing 14th and 17th with times of 24:28.0 and 24:30.0, respectively.
In his final year of competition, senior Garrison Shindler raced 24:46.5 to lock up 25th. Freshman Tyler Saunders rounded out the score in 32nd, crossing the line at 25:13.3.
Team Results:
11th - Logan Peel - 24:19.4
14th - Amit Cohen - 24:28.0
17th - Jacob Jones - 24:30.0
25th - Garrison Shindler - 24:46.5
32nd - Tyler Saunders - 25:13.3
41st - Ezra Nelson - 25:37.5
43rd - Todd Yeates - 25:40.6
45th - Cory Bunker - 25:51.1
49th - Joshua Hernandez - 25:57.9
Women's Recap
Finishing fourth, the women's team gave UT Arlington a Halloween fright. With a score of 106, Southern Utah finished only 10 points behind the hosting Mavericks. In addition, the Thunderbirds' championship performance lifted them 11 points over rival Utah Tech.
Leading the team, sophomore Audrey Hales raced a 21:18.9 6K for a 13th-place finish. Freshmen Aspen Hacker and Nixie Killpack powered through within a fraction of a second of each other, finishing 15th and 16th with times of 21:26.1 and 21:26.6, respectively.
Junior Taylor Jorgensen snatched 27th with a 21:50.9, and senior Sammi Stewart wrapped up Southern Utah's scoring with a 23:08.1 race that landed her 45th.
Team Results:
13th - Audrey Hales - 21:18.9
15th - Aspen Hacker - 21:26.1
16th - Nixie Killpack - 21:26.6
27th - Taylor Jorgensen - 21:50.9
45th - Sammi Stewart - 23:08.1
46th - Claire Hoenes - 23:16.9
50th - Aldana Navarrete-Lamas - 23:59.8
Up Next
Southern Utah will continue on to the NCAA Mountain Regionals, where they will face several of the best athletes in the nation. The competition will take place on Nov. 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2025 Thunderbirds Cross Country season by following @SUUTFXC on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Track & Field and Cross Country page on Facebook.
Donate
To help support Thunderbirds athletics, consider making a donation today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.
