Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
LUBBOCK — Senior Mercy Rotich crossed the finish line in second place, helping lift Eastern New Mexico’s women to a sixth-place finish in Friday’s Texas Tech Open.
Meet host Texas Tech took both the men’s and women’s competition, with the men topping South Plains 33-49 and the women easily besting Wayland Baptist 48-84 at the Lubbock Christian University golf course.
Eastern’s men finished seventh overall.
Rotich finished at 18:04.7, a few seconds behind winner Gladys Jamaiyo of South Plains (17:56.5). Rotich, who redshirted in 2017, only ran one regular season race in 2016 — finishing second at the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede — before placing second in the LSC championships, first in the South Central Regional championship and sixth overall in the Division II nationals.
She was followed by Greyhound teammates Evaline Chaptoo (30th, 20:05.7), Mason Swanson (39th, 20:32.4), Abby Kepfer (51st, 21:19.9), Caroline Bachman (92nd, 23:14.5) and Esther Kipoech (106th, 25:06.4).
The Greyhound women totaled 163 points, well behind fourth-place Lubbock Christian (105) and ahead of New Mexico Highlands (178).
Texas Tech had five of the top 13 runners on the day. South Plains was third, paced by Jamaiyo and fifth-place finisher Dorcus Ewoi.
In the men’s competition, Miguel Bautista cruised to victory, showing the Red Raider “Guns Up” gesture as he crossed at 25:44, nearly 35 seconds ahead of Abilene Christian’s Kevin Kipkosgei.
The Red Raiders ran seven people, and had their five scoring runners all finish in the top 10. South Plains took the third, fourth and fifth spots.
Shane Walsh led the way for the Eastern men at 27:53.4 for 22nd overall. Other Greyhound finishers were Lorenzo Juarez (42nd, 29:22), Garrett Meyer (46th, 29:44.1), Daniel Vilsaint (51st, 29:56.4), Adren Soto (59th, 30:25.8), Louis Bolander (62nd, 30:36.3), Shane Rinde (77th, 31:56.7) and Jaren Brooks (84th, 34:10.2).
The Greyhounds run again next Saturday at the Arkansas Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville.
