Men’s XC place sixth, Women’s XC finish 21st in weekend races

By Pavithr Goli     10/4/23 12:22am

The men’s and women’s cross country teams were in action last weekend, with the men’s team traveling to the University of Arkansas to run in the Chile Pepper Festival while the women’s team competed in the Live in Lou Classic hosted by the University of Louisville. 

The men’s squad continued their hot start, placing sixth in the 8k race. For the second straight meet, freshman Gus Gannon led all Owls, finishing 12th out of 317 runners. Gannon was only three seconds from the top-10, and his 12th-place was the best of all freshman runners at the race. Gannon said his performance this past weekend showed him that he is prepared to face tough competition as the season continues to progress.

“This performance was a great confidence booster for me,” Gannon wrote in an email to the Thresher. “It was the proof I needed that I’m fit and ready to mix it with some of the best in the region once the postseason rolls around. I know the team was looking for a little more than what we showed but invaluable experience was gained racing a championship distance in a highly competitive field.” 

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 Following Gannon was senior Grant Samara, who finished 44th, while junior Jackson Moran finished 72nd and sophomore Ben Tijerina finished 74th. Rounding out the top five runners for Rice was junior Davis Thames, who placed 89th. Men’s head coach Jon Warren said he was proud of his team’s performance in Fayetteville on Friday. 

“This was the first big meet of the season and I think most of the guys responded well,” Warren wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Especially [Gannon]. He mixed it up well with the top guys in the field and finished very high. I have nothing but high praise for the rest of the team. [Samara] ran a very solid race and the rest of the top five kept the spread fairly close.” 

Competing in the 5k Gold Race in Louisville, the women’s team finished 21st overall with senior Taigen Hunter-Galvan placing 30th and sophomore Amelie Attenborough finishing 90th out of 335 overall competitors. 

Head Coach Jim Bevan saw last weekend’s race as an opportunity for growth considering many of his runners’ inexperience.

“It was a learning experience for many of our runners,” Bevan wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Only one of our top six runners in the race had any experience in an intensely loaded field like we had, so I would call it a learning experience. If we were to re-run the race again next week, I think we would see a lot of improvement by our team. If we learn from the lessons it will be worth the experience.”

Hunter-Galvan, who ran in her first race of the season, said she was pleased with her finish over the weekend considering the injuries that she had to overcome to start the season. 

“I had to be patient for this race,” Hunter-Galvan wrote in an email to the Thresher. “After missing the first 2twomeets due to minor injuries, I finally felt prepared to perform my best 5k race ever. I felt like I had full control of my body and would say the overall race was a great success.”

With a strong start to the season, Hunter-Galvan hopes that she can continue to improve and compete while staying healthy so that she can reach the NCAA championships. 

“My main goal is to take care of my muscles, fuel my hungry body and sleep well so I can compete alongside my teammates,” Hunter-Galvan wrote. “I have never qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual, and I think this year I have the potential to change that if all goes well.”

Next up for both teams will be the Arturo Barrios Invitational hosted by Texas A&M University on Oct. 13. 

Hunter-Galvan said she believes the Invitational will be a great test for her and her team.

“I’m looking forward to my first 6k of the season at the Arturo Barrios Invitational,” Hunter-Galvan wrote. “I think it’ll be a good predictor for the remainder of our season’s championship races.”

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