The Texas A&M cross country teams aim to continue their early season success as they host the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday, taking on several teams featured in the NCAA South Central region rankings.
The men kick off the event with their 8,000-meter race at 8 a.m., with the women following on the 6,000-meter course at 8:45 a.m.
Both teams were featured in the South Central region rankings, with the men taking the fourth place spot and the women placing sixth.
The men are coming off two consecutive first place finishes in the Aggie Opener and the Bulldog SEC Preview. Ryan Yerrow earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after his 10th place finish at the latter meet, the debut of his A&M cross country career.
The women – coming off a third place finish at the Bulldog SEC Preview – also had a breakout star at the Georgia meet. Sophomore Ashley Driscoll led the women with the fifth place title, coming back from 15th place over the final 2,000 meters of the 6,000-meter course to complete the race in 22:05.1.
“Ashley Driscoll just ran phenomenal,” assistant coach Wendel McRaven told 12thMan.com following the Bulldog SEC Preview. “She closed so well. She just rolled people up on the last part of the race.”
Driscoll also led the women in the Aggie Opener, placing second in 14:22.7. Following closely behind her in third and fourth place were Ashton Hutcherson and Kelsey Persyn.
Leading the men in both the Aggie Opener and the Bulldog SEC Preview was junior Alex Riba, who placed first and fifth respectively. Junior Christian Farris finished a step behind, placing sixth in the latter meet.
“It was good to see how well they closed over the last half of the race,” McRaven said. “That’s what you want to have happen.”