HOBBS, N.M. – Wayland Baptist University men's and women's cross country returned to competition at the NMJC Dr. Steve McCleery Invitational, with seven Pioneers taking to the course at Harry McAdams Park.
Wayland sent five runners into the men's 8K and two into the women's 5K, competing against fields of 59 and 31 runners, respectively.
On the men's side, Ryder Robison led the way for the Pioneers with a strong performance, finishing 17th overall in the 59-runner field. The junior completed the 8K course in 27:40.9, averaging 5:34.1 per mile.
Freshman Israel Esparza was the second Pioneer across the finish line, placing 34th overall with a time of 29:28.5.
Brandon Marines followed in 48th place, completing the course in 32:08.3, while Alex Naranjo finished 52nd with a time of 34:02.3. Lonnie Irving rounded out Wayland's five-man lineup in 59th place with a time of 45:27.9.
As a team, the Pioneer men finished seventh out of eight teams with 183 points. Wayland recorded a combined time of 2:48:47 and an average time of 33:45.
On the women's side, freshman Aleyda Gonzalez paced Wayland's two competitors. Gonzalez finished 24th overall in the 31-runner 5K, crossing the finish line in 23:07.1.
Fellow freshman Aliyah Vasquez finished shortly behind Gonzalez, placing 28th overall with a time of 23:39.9. With only two runners competing, the Pioneer women did not record a team score.
The meet gave Wayland another opportunity to gain valuable race experience as the Pioneers continue through the 2026 cross country season.
Wayland Men's 8K Results
Team Finish: 7th of 8 teams – 183 points
Wayland Women's 5K Results
