NEW ORLEANS – Junior Meryeme Mai placed sixth in the women’s 6k, and classmate Andruw Villa was 15th in the men’s 8k as the pair earned All-Conference honors at the 2026 American Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Lake Oaks Park.
The men’s team took eighth, with an average time of 26:14.6, while the women’s team was 11th, with an average time of 22:55.5.
Mai becomes UTSA’s first all-conference finisher on the women’s side since Madeline Boswell did so as a member of Conference USA in 2021, and she is UTSA’s highest finisher since Alyssa Diaz placed third at the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Championships.
She clocked in at 20:42.7 to pace the squad, with freshman Kira Albino behind her, collecting 50th in 22:25.3, and classmate Cadence Harris 62nd at 22:56.9. Newcomer Ana Garza was 87th in 24:01.9, and fellow freshman Haley Hill was 91st in 24:20.5. Senior Gracie Ortiz was not far behind in 95th with a time of 24:30.2, and freshman Alexia Rosas rounded out the group in 101st at 26:05.6.
Villa became the Roadrunners’ first all-conference performer on the men’s side since Jake Smith and Colton Stunkard were All-CUSA in 2022, with Villa matching Stunkard with a 15th-place finish. Additionally, newcomer Zac Mangum was an all-freshman team member, marking back-to-back seasons that the men placed someone on the squad.
Villa crossed the tape in 24:34.8, topping the team, while sophomore Ethan Carranza placed 48th in 25:52.2 and Mangum 59th in 26:25.0. Sophomore Austin Lyda was 62nd, finishing in 26:47.2, with freshman Murff McLaughlin 71st in 27:33.8. Newcomer Thomas Tamayo took 77th with a time of 27:56.8, as classmate Matthew Cato was 81st in 28:14.2 and freshman Landon Fluckiger 82nd in 28:56.9.
UTSA will next compete at the NCAA South Central Regional Cross Country Championships on the Watts Cross Country Course in College Station, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 13.
Keep up with UTSA track and field/cross country on goUTSA.com and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSATRACK, X (Twitter) @UTSATRACKXC, and on Instagram @UTSA_XCTRACK.
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