Tomas Vega Wins Second Race of the Season at the NMJC Invitational 8k
September 22, 2023

Tomas Vega Wins Second Race of the Season at the NMJC Invitational 8k

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The NMJC men's cross country team competed in their first home meet of the season on Friday, Sept. 22 at Harry McAdams Park. 

The partly cloudy weather was perfect for the NMJC cross country team Friday morning as the Thunderbirds won their home opener with a team score of 17 points. Amarillo College was the runner-up in Hobbs, NM with 57 points.

Tomas Vega won his second cross country title of his career at the NMJC Invitational 8k. The sophomore posted a time of 23:40.50. The finish is second all-time at NMJC for an 8k race and just six seconds behind the school record set by his brother German Vega in September of 2022. German Vega finished runner-up with a time of 23:59.40. 

Miguel Medina has been steady throughout the season at the No. 3 spot for the T-Birds. Medina continued that consistency with a third-place finish of 24:08.00 and moves himself up the record book to No. 4 all-time for an 8k at NMJC. 

Sophomore Alex Keter was a fifth-place finisher with a time of 25:09.70, which pushed himself up to No. 6 all-time at NMJC for the 8k. The fifth and final runner to count towards the team score was Wilson Navarrete. The San Jose De Chimbo, Ecuador native placed seventh overall with a time of 25:23.90. The finish pushed Navarrete into the No. 8 spot of the NMJC 8k record book.

Freshman Paul Maurer finished the day in ninth place (25:26.10). Maurer's finish moves him to No. 9 all-time in the NMJC 8k record book  The final runner for the T-Birds to cross the finish line was Cyprien Bille in 16th place (27:39.30). Sophomore Marc Pauvert was unavailable to race at Friday's meet.

Tomas Vega was named the NJCAA DI Runner of the Week Wednesday, Sept. 27 for his performance at the NMJC Invitational. This is the first time in Vega's cross country career that he has won the award. 

The T-Birds take the next week off before they ready for the NMJC Invitational II Friday, Oct. 6 at 5:45 p.m. MDT in Hobbs, NM at Harry McAdams Park.