Emma Little and Maddie Livingston

https://instagr.am/p/C_JUrQsPgEZ

Zack Munger

https://instagr.am/p/C_JtIgqvoI7

Texas A&M Mile Record Holder Cooper Cawthra

https://instagr.am/p/C_LLZNNOB8p

Kennady Fontenot

https://instagr.am/p/C_LzgZWyobQ

USTFCCCA Cross Country Pre Season Rankings

South Central Region
Women
1. Arkansas
2. TEXAS A&M

3. Tulane
4. SMU
5. LSU
6. Texas
7. TCU
8. Rice
9. Arkansas State
10. Incarnate Word


Men
1. Arkansas
2. Texas

3. Tulane
4. TEXAS A&M
5. Arkansas State
6. Incarnate Word
7. Rice
8. Sam Houston
9. UT Arlington
10. Houston

Now pre season rankings don't mean much, buts it's still a data point nonetheless!! Nice to see they believe our women can head back to nationals! I'm surprised Tulane is over us on the men's side, they always have a strong squad so it'll be nice to see what they have

National Rankings wise Arkansas is 13th on the women's side. On the men's side Arkansas is 3 and tu is 24

https://www.ustfccca.org/2024/08/featured/2024-ncaa-di-womens-cross-country-national-coaches-poll-preseason

Tech adds a 59 minute half marathoner from Kenya, their entire scoring 5 will be Kenyan

https://instagr.am/p/C_JLKiVvuNz

Freshman Phenom San Juanita Leal

https://instagr.am/p/C_L6M6PSvRh

Senior Nicole Chastain

https://instagr.am/p/C_LgN_PJHyl

Cross Country Team at Lake Bryan

https://instagr.am/p/C_PA-DyvJ_2

Every year right before they report the team takes a vacation together, this year they went to Colorado

https://instagr.am/p/C_PCdyWvWCC

Freshman Madison Peters

https://instagr.am/p/C_OQOW7RzEY

TEXAS A&M 2024 MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW


14 Nike spikes lined up right behind a chalk white line, a silence drifts through the air, the only sounds you can hear are the birds chirping, oaks and pines swaying, last deep breaths are being taken, runners grab their watches, coaches grab their stopwatches, and the starter grabs his pistol… on your marks, set (GUN FIRES) and Cross Country season has begun!!

We are starting this preview with our men's team! Last year these gentleman finished 4th in the SEC and 6th at regionals! Although, we did lose one of the best distance runners in Texas A&M history in Eric Casarez; who paced our team for 5 years! We also lose Joseph Benn and Siddharth Jayaraman! However, we do return quality pieces and have added some strong runners in the portal!

Returning for the Ags on the men's side will be 5th year seniors Jonathan Chung and Cooper Cawthra! Two mainstays in our lineup the last several years with Chung being a national qualifier in 2022! Behind them is a bevy of young talent in sophomores Jack Johnston, Noah Willows, Zack Munger, Aiden Gonzalez-Rodiles, and Carter Gordy! Coaches McRaven and Abell have also acquired talent via the transfer portal in 2 time national qualifier and one of the most talented runners in the country Victor Kibiego, a talented NAIA national qualifier Luca Santorum, and two more international athletes who did not run for us last year in Ondrej Gajdos and Gilbert Rono.

If you read the previews (and got through all those words lol) you'd have seen that Victor Kibiego is one of the most talented and elite distance runners that have entered our program! Hernandez comes with a pedigree longer than the traffic on Wellborn the first week of classes! In his two cross country seasons he qualified to nationals, even placing 44th last year! This type of talent is something Texas A&M has been lacking for many many years, since Henry Lelei in 2012! He will be the undisputed leader for our guys and he will carry this team by always being on top of or near the podium!

However, this is also a team sport and we are only as strong as our last scorers! So the question that remains for this years team is who will be behind Kibiego and how well will they run! Seniors Chung and Cawthra have the experience and talent to really bridge the gap behind Kibiego! Chung qualified to nationals in 2022 and just missed out last year! You can't ever count out Chung in any race and his confidence and swagger are palpable! Cawthra, the school mile record holder, has really extended his range and has shown solid 8k performances! I expect for him to have a great year!

Behind these gentlemen are a strong group of all underclassmen! Last year as freshman we saw Jack Johnston emerge as a impactful freshman who was in the top 5 of this team, sometimes even number 4! I expect him to be an extremely important piece to this year's team and to be a permanent fixture in our scoring! He showed great potential and after a solid track season I'm excited to see what he does in cross country! He will most definitely be relied on to score! With this group the question is will they take a collective step and improve as sophomores! Willows, Munger, Gonzalez-Rodiles, Gordy, and Diego Heredia have all shown potential and flashes! Who's going to burst onto the scene and elevate the scoring potential of this team!

The addition of Luca Santorum is a wildcard that can potential boost this team! He has a very strong 8k PR of 24:09 but he failed to break 25 aside from that race! However, from Italy, it was his first year training in America and after a strong season in track, I believe he can expound on that 24:09 potential and assist this team! Gilbert Rono of Kenya and Ondrej Gajdos of Czech Republic are unknowns who only have recorded track times so I'm excited to see what they have to offer and to see if they can excel on the cross country course! If either or both of them can display excellent running, then that can be a huge difference maker for our squad!

In this sport, spots 1-7 are all equally important! We have our 1 in Kibiego, we have some solid depth behind him, and a few international transfers that are wildcards but can heavily leave their footprint on this year's squad! It'll be interesting to see how it all unfolds this season! Let's focus on the gap behind Kibiego and if we can find some consistency in scoring on the back end! We are in a bind, as we are in a region behind Arkansas who's a national championship contender, and a strong texas squad, although I believe this is as weak of a texas team that we will have seen in awhile! So this is hopefully a year we can take them down! We have a strong squad and I believe they will give them a fight! I'll preview those teams later on after I see a few races of them! But for right now, let's watch our men race tomorrow and the rest of the season and see what we are made of! Gig'em!

TEXAS A&M 2024 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW

The date is November 10, 2023. The leaves are changing to an autumn color, a crisp breeze is flowing through Dale Watts Cross Country Course, 183 girls are running, about 50 coaches are pacing down the homestretch looking at their watches and their phones on Flash Results, some fans are yelling, some are looking for their schools colors, those in Razorback red are calmly brushing the little sweat off their forehead as they see 4 of their girls cross the top ten, but those in maroon and white, those fans are excitedly and anxiously waiting for a few girls donning the ATM across their chest, pretty demure maroon ribbons in their hair, A&M logo stickers on their cheeks, sweat, grass, water, and mud on their bodies, to come down the homestretch to a raucous applause! First comes the grad transfer Madison Brown in 9th, not far behind her is A&M junior Maddie Livingston in 11th, with the race of her life right behind them is Kennady Fontenot with her large stride in 14th, a near 30 seconds passes… Nerves, loud intermittent breaths, pacing up and down between your phone and the homestretch in search for 2 more Aggies to score! Tulane had 3 in the top 16, which school will have 2 more girls appear! Eyes boldly look up, teeth are grinning, fists are shaking, and here come two more Aggies. Shewaye Johnson and Emma Little come racing down the homestretch at Dale Watts giving it their absolute all! They both cross, there's a pause in the air as cheers and applause are heard, but still no confirmation, although signs point to the dream finally being achieved. Many years had our ladies been stuck in 3rd, many shortcoming at regionals of past had plagued this team! But however, fortune would favor the Ags as the tallies were completed and it was official, for the first time in 23 years and only the second time in school history have AGGIES MADE IT TO THE ROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!!!

ENOUGH REMINISCING! TIME TO FOCUS ON 2024! Just kidding, we can celebrate 2023 for the rest of time! Or as I said last year… it's just the beginning of a dynasty for our cross country team as nationals will not just be the realistic goal but the standard and the result! Our ladies bring back a LOADED roster, even stronger than last season! Although Madison Brown and Katelyn Buckley have departed, we return our leader Maddie Livingston, all star junior Kennady Fontenot, regionals hero Emma Little, sensational sophomore Shewaye Johnson, and so much depth and talent behind them!

If you're not excited enough, well adjust that cowboy hat and polish those boots because with the talent we're bringing in, we'll be headed back to the big dance! My oh my, have Mr Wendel McRaven and Julia Abell brought in some talent! Leading the charge is Debora Cherono of Kenya. She comes in with a 6k time faster than our entire roster, and she is easily one of the best runners in the nation! Although I am a little worried because the team has posted pictures and she hasn't been in any of them, so I hope she gets to make it to campus this semester, so fingers crossed! But if Cherono were to race for the maroon and white, we are almost a near lock to repeat as she will most likely podium at regionals or fight for first! This is a talent like no other! But it doesn't stop there!

We also picked up a group of fabulous freshman, which may go down as the best distance recruiting class we've signed in a very long time! We added 3 girls who respectively placed, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th at the 6A state cross country meet! San Juanita Leal, Madison Peters, and Staucie Lees are all freshman who, not maybe, not potentially, BUT WILL have an impact on our roster! All can run in our 7 and can elevate our program! Leal might be the best high school prospect we have ever signed! She has a 5k under 17 minutes and I know she will adjust to the 6k easily! We also added Penelope Gracey out of The Woodlands who has battled illnesses and injuries, but she equally talented! This is a freshman signing group like we have never seen!

We have the opportunity to have an extremely successful season this fall, possibly the best season in school history! If Cherono makes it on campus, she can elevate this squad to extreme heights! She can race up with the top girls in the country and adding her would be insane! However, we also bring back two top 15 regional placers in Maddie Livingston and Kennady Fontenot! Livingston was our number 1 for every race until regionals and she is extremely talented, she will be a top ten regional finisher! Not behind her, but aside her and with her will be Kennady Fontenot! Fontenot burst onto the scene last fall and rapidly progressed to become an important member of our squad! She also had such a strong season in track, so I expect her progress to continue exploding as she becomes even more elite and a top ten regional placer!

Also returning is sophomore Shewaye Johnson who was our number 4 runner last year as just a freshman! She was so important to our success and the his stage was no problem for her!! Our number 5 last year was Emma Little, and when we needed her the most, she stepped up big time and helped clinch our spot at nationals! She progressed so well through the season, so I'm excited to see what this year brings! Also returning are some excellent runners who contributed last year like Amanda Hogan, Nicole Chastain, Brooke Forbes, and a plethora of sophomore and freshman talent!

The signing of these excellent freshman will solidify our roster and elevate it exponentially! These ladies will make A&M a national qualifying team every year they are here! The times they have ran are comparable to what we have on our roster! Leal can easily run with Livingston and Fontenot and will give us another option in the top 20 at regionals! Peters is just as talented and she also has a 5k PR of under 17:00 minutes so I'm excited to see how she adjusts to the 6k! Staucie Lees will also fight for a spot on the 7 woman roster! These girls will bolster our roster and I am so thankful they signed with the Ags!

The goals are high, the foundation has been set! Aggie Women Cross Country has begun a dynasty that we will talk about the rest of our Aggie lives! The talent assembled is elite, the experience is solid, and the thing that I have noticed is that the bond shared between these girls is unbreakable and priceless! That is what separates the good teams from the great teams! These girls love to run together and they will go all out for each other and that is why I know that this season will be a successful and memorable one! Yes the times and success is evident, but these girls are special on and off the course! Get your popcorn ready and follow along! Gig'em

WOW, what great write ups on the cross country teams!


Debora Cherono is listed on the roster at 12thman.com but, like all of the Freshmen (men and women), there is no pic.

We will find out soon, though!

1st Meet Cross Country Meet
Cowboy Preview
Date: Friday August 30
Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma - Oklahoma State
Time: 8:15 Men, 8:45 Women
Distance: Men - 5k, Women - 3k
Other Teams Competing: Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Arkansas (men only)

A small but very talented field! Unfortunately the Arkansas women won't be here! But they have nearly their entire men's roster competing! Oklahoma State the reigning national champions won't be using most of their men's roster but they are clearly still talented! Tulsa is always talented as well, so it's going to be a great field!

The distances are shorter which you like to see!! The shorter distance gives the feel of a competitive quick race and it's less taxing on the legs!! It'll be such a short race but still gives us an indication on fitness levels and where our runners are in comparison to one another!!

Men Competing

Jonathan Chung
Jack Johnston
Gilbert Rono
Diego Heredia
Luca Santorum
Noah Willows
Aiden Gonzalez-Rodiles
Zack Munger
Hunter Jackson
Carter Gordy


Female
Maddie Livingston
Kennady Fontenot
Emma Little
Nicole Chastain
Austin Owen
Elise Smoot
Megan Roberts
Kristen McHugh
Addison Applebaum
San Juanita Leal
Maddie Peters
Staucie Lees
Penelope Gracey
Katherine Brunson

Notable Runners not competing

Victor Kibiego
Cooper Cawthra
Ondrej Gajdos

Debora Cherono
Shewaye Johnson
Amanda Hogan
Avery Perkins

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ITS RACE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

https://instagr.am/p/C_SueHnxvnc

Live Results

https://live.reddirtrunning.com/meets/39682/events/xc/1497903

The men are off

Any predictions?

There's no updates, so I'm not sure if Arkansas is running all their top guys! On the guys side Oklahoma State is ranked first and Arkansas is ranked 3rd in the country, but they're most likely not running their top guys! 2 of our top guys are out too!

I'm assuming Jonathan Chung and Jack Johnston will lead the way on the men's side then I'm going with the upset and saying San Juanita Leal will be our top scorer since it's a just a 3k along with Maddie Livingston and Kennady Fontenot

If it's fast I hope a majority of our guys break 15 minutes

But it's also early and at this point in training focus is on volume, not so much on speed so these shorter courses won't show their full potential

Men's 5k

3. Zack Munger - 15:03
6. Luca Santorum - 15:11
12. Jack Johnston - 15:19
17. Diego Heredia - 15:27
21. Aiden Gonzalez-Rodiles - 15:37

22. Carter Gordy - 15:38
29. Hunter Jackson - 15:48

30. Gilbert Rono - 15:49
39. Jonathan Chung - 16:05

Men finish in second behind Tulsa, the number 28 team in the country! They ran their top group!

1. Tulsa - 26
2. TEXAS A&M - 59
3. Arkansas - 85
4. Oklahoma State - 97
5. Oklahoma - 103

Arkansas only ran 2 of their top guys, but Tulsa tan them all! Oklahoma State practically ran their B team lol

We didn't run our number 1 guy Victor Kibiego and one of our other top guys Cooper Cawthra

What a great race for Zack Munger!!! The race wasn't a fast race as most of these guys running can go under 15, but Munger ran exceptionally well and that's a PR for him! Also a great Aggie debut for Luca Santorum! Behind them were all underclassmen as well! It's great to see them run together and run well! Don't worry about Chung, he's still out second best runner and our leader!