BOSTON – The Texas A&M cross country teams secured two top-five finishes at the Battle in Beantown, held Friday at Franklin Park. The women’s team took third place, while the men’s team finished fifth.
“I was really pleased with the women’s race,” said distance coach Wendell McRaven. “I thought our front four did a really great job, they ran well, especially Shewaye [Johnson] who’s doing a great job as a freshman. Our biggest thing moving forward is to close the gap between our fourth to fifth- and sixth- place finishers.”
McRaven also praised the men’s performance. “It was great to get Eric [Casarez] out there for his season debut, and finishing fifth was a great opener for him. Jonathan [Chung] continues to be consistent for us. The rest of our guys had a good showing and put out a great effort.” ALSO READ: Britton Wilson Speaks Out on the Emotional Rollercoaster of Athletic Injuries
Maddie Livingston and Eric Casarez lead way for Texas A&M
Leading the Aggies was Maddie Livingston, who finished 11th with a time of 17:30.9. She was closely followed by Madison Brown in 12th at 17:31.4 and Kennady Fontenot in 14th at 17:32.4. Shewaye Johnson took 23rd place with a time of 17:43.1, while Emma Little rounded out the team’s scoring, finishing 49th at 18:10.0.
“I think it was a great way to get out of our comfort zone and we ran really well together,” Livingston commented. “It was a different and fun course, and I’m very encouraged and proud of this team. Another confidence booster that we can compete against some top teams.”
On the men’s side, Eric Casarez led the race up to the 5k mark, ultimately finishing fifth with a time of 23:55.7. Following him was Jonathan Chung, who secured an 11th-place finish at 24:20.0. Jack Johnston, Aiden Gonzalez-Rodiles, and Joseph Benn completed the Maroon & White’s scoring, finishing 29th, 40th, and 44th respectively.
“It was a nice opener to the season,” Casarez added. “We know there is a long way to go, but at the same time it goes by quick, so it’s about taking advantage of every meet. I thought the team did really well overall, but I’m liking where we’re at so far.”
In the women’s event, Harvard claimed the victory with 61 points. They were followed by Penn with 103 points and Texas A&M with 107 points. In the men’s event, Harvard also took first place with 47 points, while Northeastern was second with 98 points, and Texas A&M finished fifth with 124 points.
SEASON RECORDS
Women’s
John McKenzie Invitational – 1st place – 5-0
Texas A&M Invitational – 1st place – 13-0
Battle in Beantown – 3rd place – 13-2
Overall record – 31-2
Men’s
John McKenzie Invitational – 1st place – 5-0
Texas A&M Invitational – 1st place – 12-0
Battle in Beantown – 5th place – 9-4
Overall record – 26-4
