ABILENE, Texas – In his final race as a Texan, Kevin Baez took 11th place leading the Purple and White to a sixth overall finish.
 
Tarleton State men's and women's cross country wrapped up their seasons at the 2023 WAC Championship. The men took sixth place overall with the women taking tenth.
 
MEN (6th)
 
The Texans were led once again by senior Baez who took 11th place overall with a time of 24:16.9. Baez finished 24 spots higher this go around at the WAC Championship. Last season he finished in 35th with a time of 24:39.9.
 
The Purple and White finished as a team sixth overall with point tally of 166, just one point short of fifth place Utah Tech.
 
"I was really proud of our guys and the way that we competed," said coach Chase Rathke. "It was a hard-fought battle obviously. Going in we got a few pieces back with Angel Gomez and then also dealt with a couple minor injuries going into the conference meet just like every team. We were one place or one point away from being 5th. I thought they competed extremely well I was really proud of Kevin Baez going out and finishing 11th. To come in 11th, he ran a really gutsy race and put us in a position to do really well. Our guys went out and executed the race plan really well and I know we had high expectations and everything but at the same time I was really proud of the way those guys competed.
 
Following in Baez and notching a top-30 finish was Gomez with a time of 25:06.8 earning him 29th place. Not far behind Gomez was Angel Contreras who finished in 34th place with a time of 25:20.6.
Ricky Tolentino claimed the final spot in the top-50 with a time of 25:52.7. Three spots behind Tolentino was Kellen Frickel who finished in 53rd with a time of 26:01.9.
Rounding it out for the Purple and White was Diego Flores and Christopher Moreno. Flores came in 75th with a time of 27:26.6. Moreno wrapped it up for the Texans with an 82nd place finish and a time of 27:59.6.
Men's results can be found here.
 
 
Women (10th)
The Texans were led by Sage Lancaster as they have been the entire season. Lancaster finished in the top-50 with a 46th place finish with a time of 23:09.2.
The Purple and White finished in tenth place as a team with a point total of 303.
"It unfortunately wasn't our day," said coach Chase Rathke. "There's a bunch of factors that went into it, but I was proud of the way the girls competed and battled all year. We battled injuries and other things and at the end of the day it was just about getting to the conference meet. I was really proud of the way that they competed and laid it all out there. It was a gutsy performance in a tough race, and I think it gave a lot of those girls some needed experience. I think that we're going to use that going forward and build on it and continue to grow as a as a team. We are going to continue to build that culture and I think we're on the right track for sure and I know that they're very hungry to continue to build on that and I'm really excited for them going forward."
Kailey Sykora finished in 62nd place with a time of 23:35.8. Four spots later Georgina Balderas finished with a time of 23:42.8 in 66th place.
Aimee Landers-Wilburn  and Emily Teal finished back-to-back in 80th and 81st place respectively. Landers-Wilburn turned in a time of 25:29.6 and Teal crossed the finish line at 25:32.1.
Rounding it out for the Texas was Jordan Jones, Morgan Lamberson and Magaly Lopez. Jones came in 84th with a time of 26:22.2. Lamberson finished in 86^th place with a time of 26:41.3. Rounding it out for the Purple and White right behind Lamberson was Lopez who came across in the line in 87th place with a time of 26:44.5.
Women's results can be found here.