The UTSA cross country team competed in the University of the Incarnate Word’s second hosted meet of the year, the UIW Invitational, on Saturday, Oct. 1. Both the men and women placed third as a team.  

The men’s race began at 8:30 a.m., and the ‘Runners immediately took the front of the pack. Sam Houston transfer Colton Stunkard led the ‘Runners, followed by Jake Smith and UIW transfer Spencer Herbstritt. The trio would remain together throughout the entire 8,000 meters and all finished in the top 13 in the 126-man field. Stunkard finished fifth overall with a time of 25:10.3. Smith was second for the ‘Runners with a time of 25:26.0, placing him 10th overall with Herbstritt closely behind, clocking a 25:35.0 in his cross-country debut. Idol Ramon was fourth for UTSA and 28th overall with a time of 26:12.2 and the fifth Roadrunner was Caden Cunningham at 43rd overall with a 26:42.5, respectively. OJ Ruiz and Harrison Wade were the sixth and seventh finishers for UTSA, with Ruiz crossing the finish in 49th overall at 27:00.5 and Wade at 27:49.1, placing 68th overall. Incarnate Word took the team title with an average time of 25:12, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley finished second with a 25:39 team average time, just 10 seconds faster than UTSA at 25:49.  

The women’s 6,000-meter race began at 9:10 a.m., where the 14-team field stormed to the front. UIW transfer Madison Henry was leading the Roadrunners with the rest of UTSA’s runners in the middle of the pack. UTSA had four women inside the top 20 overall as Henry came 10th overall with a time of 22:52.8. Abbygail Balli closed hard at 15th overall and second for UTSA with a 23:26.9, and Chante Dixon was right behind at 17th overall with a time of 23:32.6. Luzaan de Wilt, a transfer from Jacksonville, finished 20th in her debut race as a ‘Runner with a 23:37.4. Savanah Lopez crossed the line at 26th overall place with a time of 23:49.3, while Brooke Veltman and Lilly Morill finished in 32nd and 33rd overall with a 24:19.0 and 24:19.9. Sydney Bravo was the final member of the UTSA squad, finishing 51st overall with a time of 25:12.2. Northern Colorado claimed the team title with an average time of 22:10, while UIW was second with an average time of 22:33.  

UTSA will now prepare for its final race before the conference meet at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, which will take place at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course. The race will be on Saturday, Oct. 15.