The Cross Country team enjoyed a perfect finish last Saturday at the MSU Cross Country Carnival at the former Hawk Ridge Golf Course. MSU’s runners scored a perfect 15 as the first seven runners to cross the finish line were MSU students, earning them the MSU Cross Country Carnival team title.
Ashley Flores, senior in sociology, and Gabby Ruiz, junior in nursing, finished the 6 kilometer race first, crossing the finish line hand-in-hand.
“It’s good to have someone there, even in a race, it’s good to have those teammates there to pull you up,” Flores said.
Flores said the team greatly benefitted from the home field advantage.
“It’s always good to run at home and to have a home crowd with you. It’s good to have a good pack with your team; your family’s here to support you,” Flores said. “I’ve run this course a bunch of times so we know this course like the back of our hands. You feel more comfortable in your home environment.”
Flores said the team’s strong finish will boost their confidence going into the Lone Star Conference Championships in Portales, NM on Oct. 26.
“It’s just another step towards conference. Another little confidence boost,” Flores said. “When you feel good about this race, the next race is going to feel even better.”
The first runner from another school to cross the finish line was Central Oklahoma’s Katie Kerns, finishing 7th and earning Central Oklahoma a second place team finish with 46 points while Southwestern Oklahoma State finished third with 85 points.