Texas Tech Cross Country Heads to Chile Pepper Festival
October 02, 2015 | Cross Country
Oct. 2, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech cross country is set to take on the Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The men's 8K will start at 9:45 a.m., with the women's 5K following at 10:20 a.m.
Texas Tech will be one of over 30 universities competing at this year's event. Last year, the women's team recorded a fifth-place finish, while the men's took placed 12th among the stacked field. Jocelyn Caro posted a personal-best at the meet last year in the 5K at 16:45.8.
2014's festival also resulted in a Big 12 Runner of the Week award for Tech, a trend the Red Raiders would like to continue following this year's meet. However, Tech didn't have to wait until the Chile Pepper Festival to pick up the honor in 2015.
Caro and Evans Tuitoek each earned the distinction after their performances at the ACU Open on Sept. 18 in Abilene. It was the first time since 2006 Texas Tech has swept the award, when Kevin Chelimo and Sally Kipyego received the honors.
At the ACU open, Tuitoek took home first-place after notching a time of 18:46.5 in the men's 6K. It was the ninth-straight meet that he's put up the top time for Texas Tech, dating back to last season, including the 2014 Chile Pepper Festival.
On the women's side, Caro was just edged out of the top spot, finishing runner-up in the women's 5K at 18:18.37. It was the sixth time in her career she's lead the Red Raiders in time and the fifth meet that she's finished in the top five of all competitors.
The Red Raiders look to replicate that success when they hit the course on Saturday in Fayetteville at the 27th Chile Pepper Festival.
Players Mentioned
