By KATIE LACKEY
The Northwestern Oklahoma State University cross country team competed in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival Oct. 1 in Fayetteville, Arkansas where the women’s team placed 35th and the men’s team was 42nd.
The women completed a five-kilometer course. Renee Contreras lead the Rangers with a time of 19:59. Contreras finished 118 out of over 300 competitors. She was followed by Clara O’Connor, who ran a 22:03. Rebecca Black was shortly behind after finishing with a 22:23. Black’s time was a new personal record for her on five-kilometer course. The Freshman, Lexi Hastings, completed the course in 23:49. Finally, Capri Gahr rounded out the women’s team with a 24:21.
Coach, Clay Tartar, said all the women ran better times at the Chili Pepper Cross Country Festival than they did the weekend before at the Oklahoma State University Cowboy Jamboree.
The men had an eight-kilometer course. Freshman, Seth Maston, lead the Rangers with a 29:40. Following Maston was Manuel Reyes, who ran a 31:44. Maston and Manuel were both able to knock three minutes off their times from last weekend at Oklahoma State University Cowboy Jamboree. Parker Osborn was the third person to finish on the Ranger’s team with a 33:37. Brandon Widner was not far behind with a 34:21. Finally, Ian Licea rouned out the team with a 36:01.
“It was a good effort from all the guys,” Tartar said.
The next meet for the Rangers will be the Fort Hays State Tiger Open on Saturday at 9 a.m. in Hays, Kansas.