Islander Women Take Fourth At SLC Championship

Cross Country | October 27, 2017

ABILENE, Texas - In what started as a cold and windy morning at ACU Cross Country Course, ended with some impressive individual performances from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's runners, as the Islander women and men finished fourth and eighth respectively at the 2017 Southland Conference Championship. Standout junior Allyson Girard earned Second Team All-Southland honors in this year's competition, while freshman runner Isaac Vargas posted the top time for the Islander men, with a 25:48.3 8K.

Since her arrival on the Island this offseason, Girard has been the Blue and Green's most impressive performer, and the junior transfer continued that trend with a seventh place finish in Abilene this week. Girard's time of 21:34.9 crushed the previous best she recorded at Minnesota-Duluth by over 40 seconds, and finished better than any runner not from ACU or McNeese State. The Arizona-native has been the top-runner for the Islanders in each of the team's four meets this year, and her finish in this year's championship is her fourth consecutive within the top-10.

Freshman Valentina Campos would be the next member of the Islander women to cross the finish line, with her time of 22:02.4 besting the 23:06.5 she set at the UIW Invitational just three weeks ago, and finishing just three seconds behind Southland Freshman of the Year, Katy Whiteoak of Lamar. Campos was one of two Corpus Christi freshman to record big days at the ACU Cross Country Course, with fellow first-year Sydney Cole earning a 20th place spot at 22:23.6. The two were both among the top four freshman at this year's championship, finishing around junior runner Cynthia Quiroga (22:15.7), whom finished in 18th overall.

When asked about his impact newcomers in Friday's race, Head Coach Brent Ericksen was more than positive. "It's great for Allyson [Girard] to be all-conference." says Ericksen. "Our two freshman especially, I think they really did well. We were one spot out of having the All-Freshman of the year and Sydney [Cole] was right behind Valentina [Campos]. All of these girls are returning so we are excited about next year and where this thing's going. We still have one race to go and they've got to step up one more time."

On the men's side, Vargas and Marek Spriestersbach would put up the top times for the Islanders, with the former finishing a team-best 32nd, in a field of 92. Spriestersbach crossed just 12 seconds behind Vargas with a 26:00.6, followed by a 26:01.4 from senior Jordan Wright. The Blue and Green men would finish eighth overall in Friday's Championship, finishing ahead of five conference opponents on the morning. 



Women's Top-Five
7. Allyson Girard (21:34.9)
15. Valentina Campos (22:02.4)
18. Cynthia Quiroga (22:15.7)
20. Sydney Cole (22:23.6)
31. Liz Romo (22:41.2)

Men's Top-Five
32. Isaac Vargas (25:48.3)
39. Marek Spriestersbach (26:00.6)
40. Jordan Wright (26:01.4)
71. Will Maraggia (27:45.4)
73. Dominic Baptiste (28:05.0)

• The Islander women's fourth-place tally is their best finish since taking fourth in the 2012 championship
• The women's side was ranked fifth in the Southland by the USTFCCCA and 15th in the South Central region before entering Friday's meet. They finished ahead of Stephen F. Austin who was recently ranked 13th in the same region
• Allyson Girard, Sydney Cole and Valentina Campos all set personal records for their college career, while Quiroga's time is her best of the past two seasons
• Vargas beat the season-best 8K time he set three weeks ago at the UIW Invitational
• This is the second consecutive meet Vargas has earned the top Islander performance, he tallied the third fastest time among freshman at Friday's meet

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders next prepare for the South Central Region Championship, held in College Station, Texas. Spriestersbach and Morgan McCutchen earned the Islanders' best times at the same meet the previous year.

STAY SOCIAL
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