October 11, 2025
Fort Worth, TX — The Nelson University Cross Country program continued its impressive fall campaign with another strong showing at the DBU Old Glory Gallop, hosted at AP Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas. Competing in a deep field that featured NCAA Division II and NAIA programs, both the men's and women's squads displayed growth and a wave of personal bests that underscored the Lions' upward momentum.
Men's Recap – Steady Strides Across the Pack
The Nelson men's team clocked a team average of 29:30 in the 8K, powered by a balanced pack that maintained strong pacing from start to finish. Senior Jesus Flores led the way with a time of 27:57, setting the tone early with his trademark endurance and closing kick.
Emmanuel Franco followed close behind, finishing in 28:50, while Ezra Perez (29:59) and Joseph Helm (30:13) continued to show promise in their collegiate debuts.
Michael Todd clocked 30:30 in a steady performance that anchored the Lions' team scoring, and Matthew Cresse recorded a personal best of 31:21, showcasing measurable progress from his early-season times.
Women's Recap – Personal Bests and Rising Confidence
The Lady Lions delivered another inspiring performance, finishing with a team average of 20:37 in the 5K — their fastest team mark of the season Analia Menendez once again set the pace, posting a personal best of 20:12, leading a young but determined lineup.
Miranda Sosa made a statement with her own personal best of 20:27, cutting nearly two minutes off her previous time. Betzaidy Najera (20:32) and Kylie Adams (20:52) and Jessica Otwell (21:02) packed tightly behind, while Reese Perkins (21:16) and Elena Charping (22:23) both notched personal bests of their own. Genesis Huerta added another PR with her 22:47 finish, giving Nelson seven personal records on the women's side — a program-best for a single meet this season.
Coach's Perspective
"This is always a highly competitive meet for us that our athletes enjoy being a part of," said Head Coach Robert Herrera, Director of Cross Country and Track & Field. "We had some falls on both the men's and women's sides, but this was a good reminder that from this point of the season to Nationals, racing gets very physical and requires us to be intentional about our positioning for the remainder of the season."
Looking Ahead
With steady progress and multiple season-bests, the Lions turn their focus toward postseason preparation. Nelson will return to training with eyes set on the Sooner Athletic Conference Championships, where both squads aim to make a statement and carry their momentum into the national stage.
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
