OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU Cross Country teams will be running in their second-to-last regular season race this weekend as the Evangels will be running in the prestigious Missouri Southern Stampede at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Mo. on Saturday morning. The meet will begin with the women's 5000-meter (5k) race at 8 a.m. before the men will run in the 8000-meter (8k) at 8:45 a.m.
 
WOMEN'S SEASON REPORT

• Last Meet: MSU Mustang Derby – Sept. 11, 2025 – Wichita Falls, Texas (Lake Wichita Park)
• Team Result: 164 / 6^th of 8
• Top Finisher: Ashlyn Vasquez – 32^nd – 16:29.0 (4k)
• Race Notes:
  • Mid-America Christian once again competed at the Midwestern State Mustang Stampede at Lake Wichita Park last Thursday. In that meet, MACU placed sixth out of the eight competing teams, finishing ahead of SAC rival Science & Arts while some individuals from Oklahoma Panhandle State's team were also competing in the 4000-meter (4k) race.
  • Once again, junior Ashlyn Vasquez paced the Evangels with a 32^nd place time of 16:29.0, marking the second-fastest 4k time in program history only behind Gracie Sanders' mark of 14:27.0 set at last year's MSU Mustang Stampede on Sept. 12. The result set a team-scoring mark of 27.
  • Freshman Jessie Foster-Anderson also posted a solid time, finishing in 17:37.3 to mark the fifth-fastest 4k time in MACU's record book and tallying 35 points.
  • Freshman Cora Eyler was MACU's third-best finisher with a time of 18:35.4 while Kaylee Campbell scored 39 points with her 18:44.4 mark. Lisa Hernandez-Cruz was MACU's last scoring runner in the meet with a time of 19:25.1 to net 59 points.
  • Mid-America Christian will be making its first appearance at the Missouri Southern Stampede since competing in the event on Sept. 19, 2009. In that race, Egidija Busitie and Melissa Aguilar set marks that still sit in MACU's 5000-meter (5k) record book with Busitie's mark of 21:01.2 ranking sixth while Aguilar's 21:10.33 sits right behind in seventh.

MEN'S SEASON REPORT

• Last Meet: MSU Mustang Derby – Sept. 11, 2025 – Wichita Falls, Texas (Lake Wichita Park)
• Team Result: 128 / 5^th of 7
• Top Finisher: Jonathan Avila – 15^th – 19:57.3 (6k)
• Race Notes:
  • The MACU Men's Cross Country team utilized the shorter 6000-meter (6k) MSU Mustang Stampede to get its freshmen some more experience. However, despite not running some of its top competitors, the Evangels still put together a respectable fifth-place finish after scoring 128 points a team.
  • Freshman Jonathan Avila got the chance to shine for MACU as a result, coming away with a 15^th place time of 19:57.3 to record the second-fastest 6k time in program history. The record mark of 19:51.3 was set in last year's MSU Mustang Stampede by Jaden Rodriguez. The result from Avila set MACU's low score of 13 for the meet.
  • Freshman Canaan Motley also put together a solid result with a time of 20:13.7 to place 24^th and score 21 points for the Evangels. The time sits right behind Avila in MACU's 6k record book.
  • After setting a scoring mark for MACU in its first race of the season at the RSU Distance After Dark, freshman Xadrian Hernandez once again scored some points for MACU as his 20:33.0 allowed him to finish in 33^rd place and net MACU 29 points. The mark set by Hernandez ranks as the fifth-best in the program's 6k record book.
  • Freshmen Chase Cotarello and Carson Nault rounded out MACU's scoring places in the event as Cotarello posted a 35^th place time of 20:37.1 to net 30 points while Nault's 40^th place time of 20:40.0 scored 35 points. The two times respectably ranks sixth and seventh in the program records.
  • Much like the women's team, the men's squad will be competing at the MSSU Southern Stampede for the first time since 2009. The last time the Evangels competed in the event, Abraham Busienei posted an 8k time of 26:39.67, which was at the time the program record, but currently sits in eighth in MACU's record book.
  • On-top of seeing some strong NCAA D-II and JUCO competition at the meet, the Evangels will also face a pair of strong Sooner Athletic Conference rivals with College of the Ozarks and John Brown also competing in the event.