Aggie XC: NM State Opens 2026 With the Art Morgan Classic

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – With fall fast approaching, NM State returns to action for the 2026 season, opening with the Art Morgan Classic Open, hosted at the NMSU Golf Course, on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Aggies’ men’s and women’s teams will compete alongside a host of other programs throughout the region. Fans can follow along with the meet through ChronoTrack.
 
The Starting Line

• NM State is set to host the 2026 Art Morgan Classic Open on Saturday, Sept. 5. The women’s 5k will start at 7:30 a.m., with the men’s 5k beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m.
• NM State is set to host a number of programs in Las Cruces for the meet, including UTEP, New Mexico Highlands, Eastern New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico-Ruidoso, El Paso Community College, University of the Southwest, New Mexico Junior College, El Paso Community College, Mesa Community College and Odessa Community College.
• The Aggies will compete in four regular season meets ahead of the 2026 CUSA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, held in Huntsville, Ala. Following that race, any Aggies who qualify would advance to the NCAA Mountain Regional, hosted by the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque on Friday, November 13.
• NM State was picked fourth in the CUSA Cross Country Preseason Men’s and Women’s Poll. Middle Tennessee was projected first in the Men’s Poll, while Liberty was chosen for the Women’s Poll. Combined, the teams earned all 18 possible first-place votes across both polls.

 
What’s In a Name

• This season, the Aggies will compete at their home meet, hosted on the NMSU Golf Course, under a new name – the Art Morgan Classic Open.
• The name change sees NM State honor Art Morgan, a longtime Head Coach for the Aggie track & field program, heading up the men’s squad from 1966 to 1998.
• During his tenure, the Crimson & White program rewrote the record book, claiming all but one school record across both the track & field and cross country programs.
• Gerald Conley was one of the start student-athletes under head coach Art Morgan, setting five school records including the 100-yard dash, 220-yard dash, 440-yard dash, 880-yard run and the 440-yard hurdles.
• Conley would also hold his own against Olympic-level competitors, outpacing 1972 400-meter hurdle silver medalist Ralph Mann, and 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist Lee Evans.
• Morgan would later be inducted into the NM State/Bank of America Hall of Fame, as a member of the class of 2000.
• “As the longest-tenured Track and Field coach in New Mexico State University history, Art’s legacy extends far beyond his years coaching,” said current NM State Head Coach Joseph Rath. “Even after his retirement, he remains a devoted fan, always checking in and asking how he can help the program. His lifelong passion for the sport has left a remarkably positive mark on this community. I am thrilled that we get to honor Coach Morgan with our home meet; he has been an invaluable mentor to me and countless others.”

2025 Year in Review

• The Aggies turned in a strong performance at the individual and team levels in 2025, including a runner-up finish on the women’s side of action at the 2025 Conference USA Cross Country Championships.
• Nia Allison paced the Aggies in Huntsville, Ala., earning First Team All-CUSA after taking sixth overall with a time of 20:36.04.
• Amanda Radava tallied Second Team All-CUSA honors, finishing 11^th overall, while Valeria Macias Casasfinished 19^th, to claim Third Team honors.
• On the men’s side of competition, Andrew Gibby led the way for the Crimson & White, posting a time of 24:26.80 to take 16^th overall, earning Third Team recognition – his second straight season of all-conference selections for the Chandler, Ariz., native.
• To open the 2025 season, the Aggie women claimed the team title at the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial in Las Cruces, powered by a trio of top-ten finishes by Amanda Radava, Valeria Macias Casas and Nia Allison.
• Andrew Gibby would take the individual title at the Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque two weeks later, recording a 5K time of 15:11.62.
• Radava would later earn the individual title at the Dave Murray Invite, helping the Aggies earn the overall team title in Tucson.
• Omer Ibrahim, Murrie Dodge and Ainsleigh Kasprick made their NCAA Mountain Regional debuts, part of a 13-member roster that made the trip to Salt Lake City, Utah.

 
Fresh Faces

• A total of nine student-athletes between the men’s and women’s squads add to the NM State Cross Country roster this season.
• Michael Castorena (Western New Mexico), Rebecca Beaux (Fort Lewis College) and Cal Schnepf (Mesa CC) join the Crimson & White as transfers.
• Antonio Arreola (San Elizario, Texas), Ethan Castellanos (Carlsbad, N.M.), Leo Pausch (Philomath, Ore.), Alana Alva (Tucson, Ariz.), Rose Barlette (Vail, Ariz.) and Nieve Laird (Chandler, Ariz.) join the team as first-year Aggies. 

One Year Ago… | Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open | 8.30.25

• Amanda Radava opened the morning with a sixth-place finish in the women’s 5k, pacing the group to a team title.
• Marlene Mosqueda posted a personal best of 18:02.90, finishing 11^th. 
• Seven Aggies tallied new personal top times at the meet, held at the NMSU Golf Course, including Radava, Macias Casas, Mosqueda, Orion Chavez, Leo Valenzuela, Angel Maese and Gabriel Uranga. 

For complete coverage of NM State Cross Country, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateXCTF), Instagram (@NMStateXCTF), and like us on Facebook (NMStateTrackXC).