Croshaw Leads Men to Team Title at Lobo Invitational

Junior Khloi Bird posted the top finish among NM State women, taking sixth overall.

Source: NMSU Athletics
NMSU Photo By: Emilio Garcia

NM State cross country returned to action this week, taking part in the Lobo Invitational, hosted by the University of New Mexico at the UNM North Golf Course. Running in the meet for the first time since 2019, the Aggies put together a strong performance, led by sophomore Thomas Croshaw. Earning the top spot among Aggie men at the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open, the Albuquerque native did so again, finishing second overall.

Khloi Bird took the top spot for the Crimson & White Women, while a number of other student-athletes posted strong performances.

Rilyn Stevens and Millie Freeland of New Mexico recorded the top two spots in the women’s 5K, though both ran unattached.

Joining the Aggies from Butler Community College in Topeka, Kan., Khloi Bird put together her best performance at NM State, taking sixth overall and crossing the line with a time of 18:37.23. Marlene Mosqueda made it two Aggies in the top-ten, taking ninth after posting a time of 19:02.80 – her first cross country top-ten finish. Freshman Trista Cordova narrowly missed the top ten, taking 11^th with a result of 19:06.16.

Junior transfer Valeria Macias Casas made a big leap in her second meet with the Crimson & White, posting an NM State best time of 19:26.60, while freshman Nya Valenzuela recorded a new personal best in the 5K, finishing with a mark of 20:45.87.

In the men’s 5K Andrew Amor recorded the top time, posting a time of 14:44.85.

Volcano Vista graduate Thomas Croshaw posted a runner-up finish for the Crimson & White, finishing with a time of 14:51.97. Arizona transfer Andrew Gibby made it a pair of Aggies in the top-five, crossing the line with a time of 15:17.91.

Alongside the NM State duo, a trio of Aggies recorded personal bests in the Duke City, as Orion Chavez (15:33.09), Derick Castellanos (15:52.36) and Angel Maese (16:04.76) set new best marks.

These strong finishes gave the NM State men a first-place finish as a team, totaling 26 points.

Lobo Invitational

Women’s Results

New Mexico – 22
NM State – 43
El Paso CC – 69

Men’s Results

NM State – 26
El Paso CC – 29

Up Next
NM State will make its first trip outside the state of New Mexico for the Dave Murray Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 28, hosted by the University of Arizona. This will serve as the penultimate meet of the regular season.

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).

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Levi Gwaltney

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