Midwestern State athletes reunited with their families as their loved ones cheered them on during a weekend packed with MSU sports.

The Mustangs said the best part was having their families watch them compete this weekend. One of the greatest challenges for college athletes is having their loved ones away, especially when going through an injury or dealing with outside pressure, so having their families with them helps get them through difficult times like these.

For radiology freshman Gianni Latimer, having her family come all the way from Hawaii to watch her and the cheer team perform at the football game was a memorable experience.

“I was so unbelievably joyful to have my parents be here for Family Weekend. Being from Hawaii and having my family 3,000 miles away makes it 10 times better when I get the chance to see them in person again,” Latimer said.

Deciding to come to MSU and join the cheer team here represented a major decision for Latimer.

“Family is extremely important to me and making the decision to enroll in MSU being so far from my family was a hard one to make, but definitely worth it,” Latimer said.

Over the course of Family Weekend, the Mustangs competed in conference play in women’s soccer, volleyball and football.

Women’s soccer improved their winning record on Saturday after a 2-1 victory over the University of Texas at Tyler Patriots. After being down 1-0 in the first half, the Mustangs powered through after halftime with psychology senior Cassidy Savoy and business management senior Lexi Beck scoring two goals to put the Mustangs at a 2-0 record in conference play.

Women’s soccer will face the Texas Woman’s Pioneers on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Denton, Texas.

MSU volleyball battled through a four-set match against the Lubbock Christian Chaps but could not secure the win. Business administration senior Riley Rabedeaux led the Mustangs in offense, capping off a total of 17 kills, while nursing senior Brooke Parker totaled 12 digs and physical therapy sophomore Isabella Dickins had five blocks.

The next match-up for the volleyball team will take place Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Dallas, Texas where they will meet the Dallas Baptist Patriots.

Football drew in an impressive crowd as the Mustangs faced the #21 Falcons from UT Permian Basin. MSU faced tough competition as it fell 27-3, putting them at 1-1 in LSC play. Business analytics graduate Joseph Carlson delivered a 26-yard field goal, scoring the only three points for the Maroons and Gold.

The Mustangs’ next game will be Saturday, Oct. 5, against the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas in Kingsville, Texas.

The Mustangs will be home this weekend for Men’s Soccer Saturday, Oct. 5, facing Texas A&M International and the women’s tennis team will be playing home at the MSU Invitational on Oct. 4-5.