LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State Cross Country opened its 2026 season on Saturday morning, hosting the newly renamed Art Morgan Classic Open at the NMSU Golf Course. Taking the team title in 2025 under the name 'Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open', the women's team captured a second consecutive team championship, led by senior Nia Allison, who took home the individual title. Orion Chavez led the men with a time of 15:16.5 to finish seventh.
 
The women's 5K began the morning on the grassy hills, which saw eight teams take the course for competition – NM State, UTEP, Mesa CC, Odessa CC, El Paso CC, Eastern New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands, among other individuals and unattached athletes. Nia Allison's new personal best time of 17:20.7 paced the race, leading the way for the Crimson & White to claim the team championship.
 
Redshirting the 2025 season, fifth-years Jordan Torres (18:07.2) and Khloi Bird (18:28.2) returned for cross country competition, taking fourth and eighth place, respectively. Eloïse Stuart (18:12.5) and Trista Cordova (18:46.1) tallied new personal bests while finishing in fifth and ninth place, rounding out the quintet of Aggies in the top-ten.
 
Sophomore Brooke Kelly notched a personal best 5K finish, posting a time of 18:54.1 to finish in 13^th. Marlene Mosqueda took to the course again following a redshirted 2025 campaign to post a time of 18:55.12 to cross the line 14^th overall.
 
Ainsleigh Kasprick (19:06.6), Abigail Beam (19:31.6) and Murrie Dodge (20:05.0) finished within the top half of competition at the NMSU Golf Course. 
 
Melany Mosqueda (21:03.9) and Nieve Laird (21:21.49) made their NM State debuts on Saturday. 
 
In the men's edition of the race, Albuquerque native Orion Chavez tallied the top time among NM State entrants, finishing seventh overall with a time of 15:16.5.

Freshman and Carlsbad, N.M., native Ethan Castellanos took second among Aggies, posting a debut 5K time of 15:24.0 to finish 13^th, while Nick Valle made his first appearance in the Crimson & White, finishing with a time of 15:28.0 in 15^th to tally a new personal best.  
 
Senior Derick Castellanos also marked a personal best on Saturday, finishing just behind in 16^th place with a time of 15:29.6.
 
Cal Schnepf (15:51.2), Leo Pausch (16:14.6), Antonio Arreola (16:23.4) and Michael Castorena (16:32.5) made their first appearances for NM State at the NMSU Golf Course, with returners Leo Valenzuela (16:08.3), Omer Ibrahim (16:12.6), Kobe Rodriguez (16:37.4), Quenton Metz (16:49.2) and Jonah Archer (17:03.0) rounding out the Aggies in action. Ibrahim tallied a new personal best on the day.
 
Quotables
 
Senior Nia Allison, following the team win on Saturday: "It was a really fun day out at the golf course, running with my teammates and helping us to a team win. It was my first ever individual win for cross country! I'm really excited to see where we go from here this season leading up to the conference meet!"
 
Junior Orion Chavez, on the season-opener: "It honestly feels great, racing at elevation to start the year, among our family and friends definitely helps. It'll be fun to work together with my teammates and see where we can go from here!"
 
2026 Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open

Women's Results

1. NM State –  27
2. UTEP – 81
3. Mesa CC – 84         
4. Odessa CC – 103
5. El Paso CC– 106
6. ENMU – 162
7. NM Highlands – 164

 
Men's Results

1. Odessa CC –  42
2. NM State – 47
3. UTEP – 91
4. Mesa CC – 94
5. NM Highlands – 131
6. El Paso CC – 133
7. ENMU – 177
8. ENMU-Ruidoso – 195

UP NEXT
The Aggies will stay in the Borderland, heading down I-10 to visit El Paso for the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open, hosted by UTEP on Saturday, Sept. 19. This marks a return to hosting cross country meets for the Miners, holding the meet in El Paso for the first time since 2019.
 
For complete coverage of NM State Cross Country, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateXCTF), Instagram (@NMStateXCTF), and like us on Facebook (NMStateTrackXC).