SAN ANTONIO – McNeese cross country got solid outings from both the Cowboys and Cowgirls at the 2023 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday morning as both squads finished third in the team standings on a wet and soggy field at the Windcrest Golf Course.
 
Two McNeese runners – Cowboys' Gilbert Kimutai and Cowgirls' Marta Pascoa, earned all-conference honors for their individual finishes.
 
Pascoa placed seventh overall with a time of 22:00.3 in the women's 6-kilometer race while Kimutai finished seventh in the men's 8k with a mark of 25:10.9.
 
"With the rain that San Antonio had the last couple of days, the course was a heavy underfoot," said head coach Brendon Gilroy. "But we competed very well considering."
 
Both teams moved up a notch in the final standings after each finished fourth last season.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won its first-ever men's team title while Lamar captured its sixth title and first since 2014.
 
"Hat's off to those two squads," said Gilroy.
 
The Cowboys had four runners finish in the top 20, including Kimutai. Jacob Kipkogei placed 14^th with a time of 25:43.5, Omer El-Fadl in 15^th at 25:43.8 and in 16^th place was Rolando Ortiz at 25:49.1.
 
Other Cowboy finishes saw Kevin Kimaiyo place 41^st at 27:37.2, Alex Martin in 42^nd place with a time of 27:41.9 and Sullivan Hanna 50^th at 28:40.1.
 
Mathayo Bundotich of Corpus Christi captured the individual top prize with a time of 24:17.6.
 
The Cowgirls also had four runners in the top 20, led by Pascoa's seventh place finish. Sorcha Moloney finished 11^th with a time of 22:24.9 followed by a 12^th place finish from Grace Sullivan at 22:26.2 and Jeny Barcenas at 17^th with a clocking of 22:44.3
 
Irene Barreiro-Lopez placed 32^nd at 23:37.8, Bonnie Andres 42^nd at 24:23.9, Jasmine Perez 53^rd at 26:02.9 and Nia Riley in 56^th place at 26:59.2.
 
Lamar's Nia Clatworthy won the individual title with a time of 21:12.9.
 
Final Men's Team Scoring: 1, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 37; 2, UIW 38; 3, McNeese 91; 4, UNO 106; 5, HCU 117; 6, Texas A&M-Commerce 148; 7, Lamar 176; 8, Nicholls 237; 9, SLU 260; 10, Northwestern State 286.
 
Final Women's Team Scoring: 1, Lamar 45; 2, UNO 49; 3, McNeese 77; 4, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 114; 5, HCU 122; 6, UIW 139; 7, Nicholls 181; 8, Texas A&M-Commerce 184; 9, Northwestern State 260; 10, SLU 265.