Texas Tech Finishes Strong at Big 12 Championship with Three All-Big 12 Runners

Saturday, October 29

Lubbock, TX

10 AM/11 AM

Texas Tech Athletics

Big 12 Championships

Texas Tech Finishes Strong at Big 12 Championship with Three All-Big 12 Runners

October 29, 2016 | Cross Country

The men finished fifth overall with 123 points while the women held a ninth-place finish and 204 points

By: Malley Stoddard

LUBBOCK, Texas – Senior Benard Keter and Junior Miguel Bautista defended their home turf by going 1-2 in the 8k this morning at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship. This marked the first time in conference history Texas Tech has secured first and second place at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship. On the women's side, Senior Jocelyn Caro also had a strong outing, taking 10th.

"Miguel and Benard both ran the race with such maturity which was exciting to see," said Head Coach Jon Murray. "We knew they would be in the top-five spots, we just didn't know for sure exactly where."

Keter led the race with a first-place finish of 25:28.7, producing his second first-place finish at the Rawls course this season. Keter is the second Red Raider to win the men's 8k since Kennedy Kithuka in 2012 and 2013.

Bautista's second-place finish of 25:30.8 was 25 spots better than his showing at last year's Big 12 Cross Country Championship 8k performance in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

"I told Benard the only person I was going to lose to was him, and he said the only person he would lose to was me," Bautista said. The All-Big 12 honor is the third Big 12 honor Bautista has garnered this season, to go along with two weekly awards.

Caro ran the 6k in a personal-best time of 20:59, shaving off an impressive one minute from the last time she competed at the Rawls back in September (22:13.5). The El Paso native claimed her second All-Big 12 honor making this her third Big 12 honor overall. The Big 12 Championship also marked Caro's fifth consecutive first-place finish amongst teammates this year.

Behind Caro in the women's race was: Jasmine Torres (21:40), Hattie Schunk (22:32), Denae Chapman (22:45), Rianna Randolph (23:24), Maggy Mulholland (23:28), Jessica Gallardo (23:48), Bret Leigh Nance (24:01, Lynda Hanson (24:13) and Kaylee Amershek (24:35).

Behind Keter and Bautista in the men's race was: Nick Rivera (26:38.6), Clark Blunt (26:46.2), Ebenether Wondaferew (26:55.7), Eduardo Trevizo (26:58.1), Nathan Gift (27:26.8) and Shea Whatley (29:13.2).

Tech will be back in action at the NCAA Mountain Regional on Friday, November 11 at the Steve & Dona Reeder Cross Country Course in Logan, Utah.