EDINBURG, Texas - The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi men's and women's cross country battled heavy rain and bad conditions as
they opened their season at the Rio Grande Valley Relays. The race was moved to the UT – Pan American campus after the original site was washed out due to flooding.
"UT - Pan American did a remarkable job with everything that went on. It was a miracle we even raced," said head coach Shawn Flanagan. "When we drove up to the golf course, water was at the door of the bus."
The rain did not stop the Islanders from dominating the event once again. The women's team swept the event finishing in first five spots and a score of 15-45.
Vanessa Galindo grabbed the top spot in the 3k race finishing with a time of 10:50. Liz Romo crossed the line just behind at 10:54 while Shelby Polasek placed third at 11:05. Samantha Hardin (11:20) and Alexandria Rossi (11:32) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The men finished their night with score of 23-32, taking three of the top-five spots. Sophomore Edgar Martinez placed first in the 5k with a time of 15:25. Cesar Gonzalez (15:39) and newcomer Logan Pittdman (15:39) rounded out the top-five. Freshmen Jordan Wright (15:45) and Steven Galli (15:48) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in their first collegiate race.
"Both the men and the women ran steady races and that's what we wanted to do. There were some rookie mistakes, but we will learn from them," noted Flanagan. "I'm happy with how we finished and I think this will help us down the line in conference."
The cross country teams will return to action in three weeks, as they will compete in the Texas A&M Invitational Sep. 20 in College Station, Texas.
For the latest information, follow Islanders Cross Country on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersTFXC) and Facebook (Texas A&M Corpus Christi Track & Field/Cross Country).
