BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Tarleton State Cross Country men's program earned a top 10 finish in their first appearance at the NCAA Division I South Central regional on Friday morning at the Watts Cross Country Course.
 
The men finished above their 11^th regional ranking heading into race, earning ninth place. Tarleton posted 267 points, just 13 points behind seventh place Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. The women earned 27^th place with 677 points.
 
"It was great seeing our men and women compete at their first D1 regional championships ever," said head coach Bobby Carter after the event. "It's also great to see a lot of personal best across the board. When you take a look at both programs this year, you see many young men and women who have the sense of urgency to get better. We are building something truly special here at Tarleton State, and we are looking forward to our prospective Track and Field indoor and outdoor season."
 
Men
Jace Poole was the top Texan to finish, notching 38^th in his first NCAA Regional as a Texan.  The sophomore jumped over 40 places after crossing in 80^th after the first 2k of the race. Poole closed strongly to pace the men finishing in 30:54.1.
 
Angel Gomez led the Texans for the majority of the race but finished 13 seconds behind Poole earning 46^th place. Gomez set a new personal best crossing in 31:07.5 nearly 40 seconds better than his WAC Championships performance two weeks ago.
 
Freshman Toby Eaton was the next Texan to cross, finishing in 31:16.1 also setting a new career best. The freshman finished in 53^rd overall, and was the ninth freshman to cross the line. Angel Contreras crossed next in 62^nd. The senior finished in 31:26.9, the fourth of the Purple and White. Diego Flores was the final scoring Texan to cross earning 75^th in 31:43.3.
 
Kebede Kerlin and Kellen Frickel rounded out the Texan seven. Kerlin finished in 99^th with a personal best 32:15.4. Frickel crossed in 32:52.2.
 
"The men continued to have a historic season, finishing ninth in their first Division I Regional Cross Country Meet," said distance coach Christopher Zent. "Angel Gomez set the early pace for the men, and Jace Poole lead the way to the finish with a top 40 placing (38^th overall). Every meet this season they have run smart and run as a unified group. I'm confident they'll continue this momentum as they move to the track.
 
Arkansas proved to be the top team in the region taking the team title and sweeping the top three individual slots. The Razorbacks won the regional with 33 points followed by runners-up Tulane with 76. The two teams will each earn a spot at the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisc. in two weeks. Texas was the third team to finish, posting 84 total points.
 
On the individual side, three Razorbacks swept the podium. Kirami Yego, Timothy Chesodin and Patrick Kiprop went 1-2-3 separated by just 2.4 seconds. Yego took the crown in 29:09.4. The duo of Chesodin and Kiprop crossed in 29:11.4 and 29:11.8, respectively.
 
Women
Kaitlyn Gale paced the women for the second consecutive race. Gale placed 84^th crossing in 21:34.5. Gale set a new personal best, surpassing her previous record set at the WAC Championships two weeks ago by over nine seconds. Gale was among the top 20 freshman to finish, ranking 18^th in her first regional.
 
"The Tarleton women have continued to show significant improvement throughout the season and today was no different," said coach Zent. "Four of the six women set or tied a new personal best, led by freshman Kaitlyn Gale's 21:34. I know they'll use this strong finish to propel them throughout the upcoming indoor season."
 
Sage Lancaster also posted a top 100 finish in her final cross country race as a Texan. The senior crossed in 90^th in 21:41.4, the exact same time she ran a month ago on the course for the Arturo Barrios Invitational that set a new personal best for her. The Denton, Texas, native, was named WAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week earlier this season.
 
Freshman Ella Smart was the third Texan to finish. The Mamata, New Zealand, native, also set a personal best crossing in 22:50.2 for 157^th place, upping her previous best by seven seconds. Senior Georgina Balderas finished next for the Purple and White. Balderas crossed in 23:26.0 to finish in 176^th. Allie Brown rounded out the scoring Texans, finishing in 191^st place posting a sub 24-minute finish for the first time in her collegiate career. The sophomore transfer crossed in 23:59.2. Senior Jordan Jones finished just behind in 24:35.0.
 
Arkansas narrowly won the team title inching out Texas by a single point. The Razorbacks finished with 80 points, and the runner-up Longhorns posted 81 points. Tulane earned third place tallying 107 points.
 
On the individual side, Arkansas sophomore Paityn Noe broke out to nearly a 30 second lead crossing in 18:55.8. A duo from Tulane claimed the second and third place spots. Freshmen Caroline Jeptanui and Blezzin Kimutai crossed in 19:22.9 and 19:24.7, respectively.
 
The Tarleton Indoor track and field season will be next up for the Texans with the first meet on Dec. 6 at Pittsburg State in Kansas.