| Junior Dana Mecke won her third individual race of the year on Friday. |
CORPUS CHRISTI ? Junior Dana Mecke captured her third individual crown of the season to lead the UTSA women’s cross country team to a runner-up showing at the New Balance Islander Splash held Friday evening at West Guth Park.
The men placed third behind a trio of top-15 finishes from junior Corey Vargas and freshmen Layne Nixon and Michael Cook.
Mecke remained undefeated this year in winning her second 5k in as many weeks. She crossed in a time of 17:09, well ahead of runner-up Anne Ronoh of the host school Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. It marked her second straight win against Ronoh, who was eight seconds behind Mecke at last Friday’s Ricardo Romo Classic in San Antonio.
Freshman Kayla Pratt was just outside the top 10 finishers, placing 12th in 18:36, while sophomore Jayde James and freshman Courtney Nelson joined Pratt in the top 20 in 17th (19:18) and 20th (19:40), respectively. Sophomore Baylee Holder rounded out the five scorers in 41st (23:41).
UTSA scored 72 points to edge Texas-Pan American (80) for second place behind Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (24). Central Arkansas was fourth with 102 points, followed by Tec de Monterrey (106), St. Mary’s (134) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (155).
Nixon led the UTSA men for the third consecutive meet, covering his first 8k trek of the year in 26:02 to finish 12th. Cook was close behind in 13th with a 26:15 clocking, while Vargas was 14th in 26:16.
Junior Jake Orndorff led another pack of Roadrunners in the top 25, as he finished 21st in 26:55. Freshmen Albert Cardenas, Ivan Garcia and Al Johnson were just behind Orndorff, placing 22nd (26:59), 23rd (27:01) and 24th (27:04), respectively.
In the team standings, the Roadrunners tallied 80 points for third behind Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19) and Texas-Pan American (50). Tec de Monterrey was fourth with 99, followed by Central Arkansas (121) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (176).
The Roadrunners return to the course next Saturday, Oct. 4, when they compete in the Texas Lutheran Bulldog Invitational in Seguin.