Oct. 25, 2007

The University of Texas-Pan American men's and women's cross country teams will face challenges from four other schools when it hosts the 2007 Division I Men's & Women's Independent Championships at the Monte Cristo Golf Course in Edinburg, TX on Saturday, (Oct. 27).

"I'm real excited about our meet on Saturday," said head men's and women's cross country coach Dennis Darling. "It's the first time we're hosting anything here at UTPA track wise. I'm excited being a first year head coach that we get to extend our hospitality and hopefully we get to keep the championship here."

With one week left before the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Fayetteville, AR, the National Independent Championships will be a good indicator of what is to come next week.

The Broncs and Lady Broncs will be joined by Chicago State, Houston Baptist, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Utah Valley State.

"I think the men are pretty strong. I think the men and the women have a real good chance to win. We just have to go out, compete and defend our home turf. I feel confident that the men and women will do well," said Darling.

The Broncs will be led by junior Luis Nava (La Joya, TX/La Joya H.S.) who has earned four-top ten finishes and ranks 10th in program history in the 8,000 meters. Newcomer Angel M. Ramirez (McAllen, TX/McAllen H.S.) returns to the lineup as he has been out due to an injury.

"Angel will be running this weekend. Hopefully he will be back to how he was at the beginning of the season. He is a very important part of our team and he has been practicing hard to get back to where he was," said Darling.

Nava and Ramirez will be joined by J.J. Hernandez (San Juan, TX/PSJA North H.S.), Gil Castillo (Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.), Wally Gonzalez (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North H.S.), Gilroy Martinez Jr. (McAllen, TX/Nikki Rowe H.S.) and Vidal Ruiz Jr. (La Joya, TX/La Joya H.S.).

The Lady Broncs are coming off a 23rd place finish out of 41 teams at the Chile Pepper Meet hosted by University of Arkansas.

Brownsville native Carolina Izaguirre ((Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.) will be the leader of the pack as she will be joined by Shardae Bey (Houston, TX/Elsik H.S.), Sara Rodriguez (Pharr, TX/Valley View H.S.), Rose Escovedo (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North H.S.), newcomer Diana Gallaso (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.), Sonya Rivera (Brownsville, TX/Hanna H.S.) and Megan Mcguire (Gafton, OH/Avon Lake H.S.).

The biggest threat for UTPA will be Utah Valley State, where the men and women are coming off a first place finish at the Southern Utah University Cross Country Invitational. The UV's women's team had five runners finish in the top-10 in route to the teams victory.

The men will begin the 8,000 meters at 8:30 a.m. and the women will start the 6,000 meters at 9:15 a.m. at the Monte Cristo Golf & Country Club on Saturday, (Oct. 27).

UTPA Sports Information