T-Bird (MXC) Wins 2nd Straight Meet in Hobbs
The T-Birds were without top runner Mohammed Mrahi for the first time this season but that did not slow down the men's cross country team as they won the NMJC Invitational II 8k on Friday, Sept. 27.
The T-Birds registered 25 points in the win to finish 15 points ahead of second place Wayland Baptist and 52 points in front of third place Lubbock Christian.
Brian Cheruiyot held down the fort for the T-Birds with a fourth-place finish in the race. Cheruiyot came across the line in 25:00.60 and was 2.90 seconds better than what he raced at the NMJC Invitational.
Sophomore Paul Maurer climbed a few spots to have his highest finish in the lineup this year as the No. 2 man in fifth place. Maurer was in good form coming across the finish line in 25:27.00. The finish was 15.30 seconds quicker than what he ran last meet.
Emmanuel Kimaiyo finished in seventh place with a time of 25:33.90. The time for Kimaiyo was 26.10 seconds faster than his finish the week prior.
Frenchman Killian LeBourhis placed ninth overall recording a 25:52.50 finish in the race. Freshman Romain Gireme was the fifth counting score for the T-Birds. The Quince Viennne, France native placed 10th with a time of 25:54.60. The finish was 47.30 seconds better than his time at the NMJC Invitational.
Cyrus Kimaiyo came in 11th place this week. Kimaiyo finished in 26:08.60, which improved by 20.40 seconds compared to the week prior. Erwan Darrieulat finished in 14th place with a time of 26:21.60. Darrieulat's race on Friday was 23.30 seconds better than what he ran last time around the course.
Sophomore Cyprien Bille finished the invitational in 26:53.80. The Frenchman came in 19th place and improved his time from Texas Tech by 18.53 seconds. Israel Takap registered a 20th-place finish completing the course in 26:56.80, which was 20.29 seconds quicker than what he ran at Texas Tech.
Freshman Nathan Bonavida was the last T-Bird across the finish line coming in 42nd place with a time of 31:43.30.
The Thunderbirds will run next at the NMJC Invitational III on Friday, Oct. 11 at 9:45 a.m. MDT in Hobbs, NM at Harry McAdams Park.
