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Cheptoo named LSC’s top newcomer, Swanson takes ninth
CANYON, Texas — Eastern New Mexico senior Mercy Rotich took an easy victory two weeks ago in the Lone Star Conference preview race.
Saturday’s LSC championship held true to the teaser. Rotich again took first place in Saturday’s meet, crossing the finish line in 21:54.2 to become ENMU’s first woman’s LSC champ.
With three of the meet’s top nine finishers, the Greyhounds scored 87 points to finish third in team standings behind Midwestern State (57) and Tarleton State (68).
Teammates Evaline Cheptoo and Mason Swanson clocked in at sixth and ninth, respectively, in the 77-runner event. Cheptoo, who was also named the LSC’s top newcomer, finished in 23:32.3. Swanson, a junior from La Cueva High School, posted a career-best 6K time at 23:38.4.
By virtue of their top-15 finishes, Rotich, Cheptoo and Swanson all received placement on the All-LSC team.
The Greyhound men finished seventh in the nine-team event, scoring 175 points.
Host West Texas A&M won the meet with four of the top seven runners and all seven of their runners finishing in the top 20. Cameron’s James Majenge won the meet witha time of 25:17.2.
Shane Walsh led the ENMU men with a 22nd-place finish at 26:58.6, his second-fastest 8K time of the year. Garrett Meyer finished in 39th place at 27:55.6 and Lorenzo Juarez was 46th at 28:41.5. Also running for the ENMU men were Shane Rinde (29:11.6, 51st), Adren Soto (29:44.7, 56th), Louis Bolander (29:58.3, 59th), Abraham Gomez (31:15.3, 69th) and Jaren Brooks (34:19.4, 72nd).
The Greyhounds will race again in two weeks at the South Central Regional Championships in Denver.