Annual college cross-country meet draws over 600 runners
The Fifth Annual Southwest Texas Junior College Cross Country Invitational attracted over 600 participants from area schools this past Saturday (Sept. 30) in Uvalde.
The SWTJC men's and women's teams placed second overall, behind first-place Texas Lutheran.
SWTJC runners competed in the 5K-category in both the men's and women's divisions.
In the men's division, Arturo Valdez of Eagle Pass posted a time of 18:24.5 put him in 6th place while Miguel Huitron came in at 11th place with a time of 19:50.9.
In the women's division, Amanda Sandoval of Uvalde posted a time of 27:01.6 to land her in 10th place while Deborah De La Fuente placed 14th with a time of 29:41.5.
A total of 46 area schools participated in this year's event, according to event coordinator, SWTJC Kinesiology Department Coordinator Landra Fowler.
"We had a total of 33 high schools, nine middle schools, and three college teams," said Fowler. " The rainfall leading into our event did not dampen our numbers.
According to Fowler, the goal was to have a student-led event, which offers hands-on training experiences.
Fowler added, “A Special thanks to our Maria Elena Lara, college board member who served as our official race starter for the event.”
Fowler also commended the SWTJC Kinesiology Club student volunteers, Phillip Botello SWTJC Men's Basketball Coach and Robert Fowler speech instructor for their contribution to the success of the event.