FORT WORTH, Texas – Tarleton State Cross Country started off its 2024 campaign with a pair of second-place team finishes and nine runners in the top 20 at the John McKenzie Invitational at the TCU/ AP Ranch Championship Cross Country Course.
 
A year after both teams earned fifth-place finishes at the John McKenzie Invitational, the Texans improved to place both teams in the top two. Tarleton notched the best finishes of both men and women among WAC teams participating.
 
"It was a great day for our program," said Tarleton State track and field and cross country head coach Bobby Carter. "Both the men's and women's teams taking second is a great step improving from last year to this year. We want to be at the top of the conference, and we can build from here to reach our goal."
 
Standout performances led the Texan programs to its best finish at the John McKenzie Invitational. The duo of Morgan Lamberson and Sage Lancaster headlined the five Texan women that placed in the top 20. The duo finished fourth and seventh, respectively. The men's pack led by Jace Poole's 10^th place finish, placed four men in the top 15.
 
"I really appreciate everyone's effort this summer and into the fall and it showed today," said distance coach Christopher Zent. "I liked that the guys ran as a pack and moved together and moved past conference competition. The women's team moved up after a good start and they were aggressive and competitive. They looked a lot stronger than previous years and I am very excited to see what they can do moving forward."
 
Women's
 
The women's 5K kicked off the competition with the starting gun at 7:45 a.m. After the first kilometer, the Texan duo of Lamberson and Lancaster found themselves in the front with Kailey Sykora and Georgina Balderas right behind them. In total, five Texans landed in the top 20, with a pair in the top 10. Last year Lancaster was the top finisher in 17^th.
 
Lamberson fought hard for a fourth-place finish followed behind closely by Lancaster who crossed seventh. Lamberson clocked in at 18:40.68 a year after missing the cross country regular season and missing last year's opener at TCU. Lancaster was just 10 seconds back finishing in 18:50.69. Sykora crossed in 11^th at 19:05.09. Georgina Balderas and Ella Smart rounded out the Texan five scoring runners finishing in 18^th and 19^th place, respectively.
 
TCU earned the women's team title with four runners finishing in the top six overall. TCU's 24 points led the pack, with Tarleton's 55 earning the Texans second place. TCU's duo of Tabitha Ngao and McKenzie Bailey earned the top two individual finishes in 17:47.95 and 17:58.32, respectively.
 
Men's
 
The men's 5K started shortly after the conclusion of the women's top finishers. The Texans traveled in a pack with the group of seniors Angel Gomez and Angel Contreras and newcomers Poole and Toby Eaton taking the lead. The quad all recorded top 15 finishes.
 
Poole led the group of four that all finished consecutively from 10^th to 13^th place. Poole led the pack finishing in 15:18.26. Gomez was not far behind finishing in 15:21.67 for 11^th place. Freshman Toby Eaton was the third Texan to finish, trailing just behind Gomez at 15:22.99. Contreras rounded out the pack claiming 13^th in 15:24.27. Diego Flores was the last Texan scoring runner notching 25^th in 15:50.46.
 
Once again, TCU grabbed the team title boosting a perfect score of 15 with a first through fifth place sweep. The Texans registered as the second finishing team with 66 points. TCU's Graydon Morris took the individual crown with a time of 14:48.31. Three TCU runners eclipsed the 15-minute mark with a pair just a second over to round out the top five.
 
Tarleton will be back in action in two weeks, heading to the Texas A&M Invitational on Friday, September 13. The race will mark the first of three times this season the Texans will head to Bryan-College Station to compete at the Watts Cross Country Course.