The National Park College (NPC) Nighthawk men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the NJCAA Region II Championships at University of Arkansas-Rich Mountain Saturday, with the Nighthawk women finishing as Region II runners-up and the Nighthawk men claiming a fifth-place overall finish.
Freshman Kaylie Goad (Wharton, TX) clocked in at 22:39.0 for a 3rd-place overall finish for the women, while sophomore Meighan Mears (Hot Springs) finished in 12th place with a time of 24:08.0. Sophomore Brooke Wyatt (Hot Springs) finished 14th with a time of 24:25.0, while freshman Natalie Jennings (Hot Springs) and sophomores Jaelynn Martinez (San Antonio, TX) and Elizabeth Dearyan (Hot Springs) added 15th, 17th and 24th-place finishes.
“Our women’s team’s second-place finish was secured by an epic sprint to the finish in the chute,” NPC head cross country coach Jason Armitage said. “Kaylie Goad out-kicked two runners and that was the deciding factor. All our girls ran really well on a tough course.”
Freshman Miguel Mendez (Benton) led NPC in men’s action, clocking in at 30:14.4 for a 18th-place overall finish. Sophomore Matthew Farias (Miami, FL) finished 21st with a time of 31:21.0, while freshman Alexis Garcia (Cleburne, TX), sophomore Ismael Garcia (Dallas, TX), and freshman Nahum Romero (Benton) recorded 23rd, 29th and 32nd-place finishes, respectively.
“Our men’s team was full of personal records for the second-consecutive race,” Armitage said. “They really peaked at the right time. I’m proud of their effort. What a way to finish a season!”
For more information, visit Nighthawk Cross Country online. Fans can also follow the Nighthawks all season on social media.
Facebook: Nighthawk Athletics
Twitter: @NPC_Nighthawks
Instagram: nighthawkathletics
Snapchat: npnighthawks
