KERRVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M International University men's and women's cross country teams delivered dominant performances Saturday morning, sweeping the team and individual titles at the Schreiner Mountaineer Invitational.
The meet began at 8 a.m. in Kerrville, Texas, with the Dustdevils quickly establishing themselves at the front of both fields.
On the men's side, TAMIU captured the 8K team title with 20 points, finishing ahead of runner-up St. Thomas, which totaled 40. The Dustdevils placed five runners inside the top nine, including a sweep of the first three individual positions.
Freshman Shamil Kiprono led the field from the Dustdevils with an individual victory in 25:29.6. Sophomore Ian Rono followed closely behind in second at 25:34.4, while freshman Brian Kipkorir completed TAMIU's sweep of the podium with a third-place finish in 25:43.8.
Freshman Elias Kiptanui added another top-five result, placing fifth in 26:40.5, before freshman Roy Kipruto rounded out TAMIU's scoring five with a ninth-place finish in 27:34.3.
TAMIU also received strong efforts throughout its lineup. Gabriel Garza finished 13th in 28:09.4, followed by Mario Cortinas in 31st at 30:15.8, Gael Rodriguez in 36th at 30:36.6 and Jorge Sanchez in 46th at 31:27.8.
The women's team matched the men with an impressive showing in the 6K, winning the team championship with 23 points. TAMIU finished 32 points ahead of second-place St. Thomas, which recorded 55.
Freshman Yvyonne Jepkoech captured the individual championship with a time of 23:19.3, leading a sweep of the first four positions by the Dustdevils.
Freshman Eileen Cheruto followed in second at 23:30.6, sophomore Brenda Chepkemboi placed third in 24:08.7, and freshman Sharon Kemboi completed TAMIU's sweep of the top four with a time of 24:16.3.
Junior Mercy Kosgei completed TAMIU's scoring five, finishing 14th overall in 26:36.7, while senior Valerie Esparza crossed the line 39th overall in 30:10.0.
The performance gave TAMIU a clean sweep at the Schreiner Mountaineer Invitational, with the Dustdevils claiming both team championships and both individual titles. Kiprono led a 1-2-3 finish for the men, while Jepkoech paced a 1-2-3-4 finish for the women as TAMIU controlled the top of both leaderboards.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Men – Shamil Kiprono
Kiprono led a dominant Dustdevil performance, winning the men's 8K individual title with a time of 25:29.6. The freshman paced TAMIU to the team championship as the Dustdevils claimed three of the top four scoring positions.
Women – Yvyonne Jepkoech
Jepkoech led TAMIU's sweep of the top four spots in the women's 6K, capturing the individual title in 23:19.3. The freshman's first-place finish helped propel the Dustdevils to the team championship with 23 points.
