The Wildcats traveled to Texas A&M for the Arturo Barrios Invitational over Homecoming weekend, with the women’s team earning second-place and the men’s team earning 13th place.

“It was our biggest meet of the year so far,” said head coach Jarvis Jelen, “ and we are still wanting to make progress.”

The women’s team had two runners place in the top ten, Irene Rono, a sophomore from Eldama Ravine, Kenya, placed third and Prudence Kiyeng, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya placed eighth. 

“I feel so good because I was running with a lot of schools and competing with faster people,” Kiyeng said, “Before a race, I just believe in myself and believe in the coach that he has prepared for us.”

For the men’s division, Levi Chambers, a junior from Evans, Colorado led his team and placed 51st.

“The men’s team have not been racing to the full potential and we definitely still have more in the tank,” Jelen said. ”If we follow the plan well we can definitely make a jump, we just have to get better every time, and I believe we will.”

Jelen is excited about where both teams finished this meet, knowing that it is giving teams good momentum going into the conference meet.

“As a coach, I have some nervousness about it [going into the conference tournament]” Jelen said. “We have never competed against many of the schools that are our top competitors so that uncertainty is something I am not used to.”

The Wildcats have their Western Athletic Conference meet hosted by California Baptist at UC Riverside’s course in Riverside, California on Oct. 30.