LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After two weeks off, NM State returns to action for its final meet of the regular season – heading to College Station for the Arturo Barrios Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M. This serves as the fourth and final meet of the regular season for the Crimson & White, and the first east of New Mexico.
The Starting Line
- After competing outside the state of New Mexico for the first time in the 2025 season last time out, NM State travels to the Lone Star State, competing at the Arturo Barrios Invitational hosted by Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 17. The men's 8k will start at 7:30 a.m. MT, with the women's 6k beginning at approximately 8:15 a.m. MT. Fans can follow along with live results through flashresults.com.
- This serves as the Aggies final regular-season meet ahead of the 2025 CUSA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1, held in Huntsville, Ala. Following that race, any Aggies who qualify would advance to the NCAA Mountain Regional, hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on November 14.
- NM State was picked fourth in the CUSA Cross Country Preseason Women's Poll and fifth in the Men's Poll. Middle Tennessee and Liberty represented the top two teams in each poll, with the Flames earning 13 of a possible 22 first-place votes across both polls.
Trophy Time
- Last time out at the Dave Murray Invitational, NM State secured both the individual championship and the women's team title. Amanda Radava collected a first-place finish with a 6k time of 22:01.8, with the Aggies taking the team title with a score of 29.
- This became the second team title for the NM State women in 2025, also notching first-place at the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open.
- This also becomes the second individual championship by an Aggie this season, following Andrew Gibby's top finish in the 5k at the Lobo Invitational (15:11.7).
Fresh Faces
- The Aggies welcome nine new members of the cross country teams, with a wealth of accolades and talent between them.
- NM State landed five transfers in Omer Ibrahim (Tarleton), Quenton Metz (Mesa CC), Adéla Steinsová (Purdue), Eloïse Stuart (Miami [FL]) and Nick Valle (Mesa CC).
- Along with the transfers, the Crimson & White added four freshman in the recruiting class – Abigail Beam, Ainsleigh Kasprick, Brooke Kelly and Kobe Rodriguez.
- Beam (Rio Rancho), Kelly (Albuquerque), and Rodriguez (Las Cruces) join from the Land of Enchantment, while Omer Ibrahim makes a return to the Borderland, competing at nearby Pebble Hills High School from 2020-2024.
CUSA Check-In
- As conference realignment continues to rattle collegiate athletics, Conference USA welcomes a pair of new members ahead of the 2025-26 season, with Delaware and Missouri State joining the existing ten member programs. Delaware joins from the Coastal Athletic Association, while Missouri State departs from the Missouri Valley Conference.
- In the Conference USA Preseason Poll, Delaware was picked sixth with Missouri State selected eighth overall (neither program has a men's cross country program).
- Last season, Liberty swept both the men's and women's Conference USA Cross Country Championships, claiming their first conference championships as members of CUSA.
One Year Ago… | Arturo Barrios Invitational | 9.28.24
- Sophomore Thomas Croshaw paced the Aggies with a time of 23:28.2, while Arizona transfer Andrew Gibby finished with the next best time for the Aggies (24:11.2) – also a personal best. Freshman Orion Chavez rounded out the top three Crimson & White finishers, posting a mark of 24:24.4.
- Alongside Croshaw, Gibby and Chavez, the Aggies also saw Leo Valenzuela (24:44.6), Angel Maese (24:57.5), Jonah Archer (25:07.9), Derick Castellanos (25:16.7), Gabriel Uranga (25:48.3) and Christian Barreto (26:04.7) tally personal bests to help the Aggies finish 23rd overall.
- In the women's 6k, Rachel O'Brien finished top among the Aggies, posting a time of 20:35.8 – a new personal best. Junior Khloi Bird took second among Crimson & White entrants, posting a time of 20.50.1 - a personal best in the 6k.
- Six other Aggies recorded personal bests on the day, including Kayla O'Connell (21:21.5), Amanda Radava (21:26.4), Marlene Mosqueda (21:44.7), Valeria Macias Casas (21:55.22), Mari Gallegos (22:11.12) and Trista Cordova (22:13.7).
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