UTA Cross Country Competes at Annual Chile Pepper Festival

The men’s squad will compete in the McDonnell Memorial 8k at 10:25 a.m., while the women’s team runs the Harter’s Habanero 5k at 11 a.m., following strong opening performances at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational.

Mavericks Return to Agri Park After 2025 Placements

UTA makes its second appearance at the Chile Pepper Festival in as many years. During the 2025 edition of the meet, the UTA men’s team finished ninth overall, and the women’s team captured a sixth-place finish.

The course at Agri Park sets the stage for early-October competition against a large collegiate field. Last year’s meet yielded notable program marks, including Dorcas Jepkosgei setting the UTA 5k program record with a time of 16:09.5.

Gerald Richey Results Set the Pace for Arkansas Trip

UTA arrives in Arkansas following a dominant season-opening meet at home. The Mavericks swept the podium on the men’s side to claim the team title at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational, while the women’s squad finished second in the team standings, utamavs.com reported.

Mateo Doherty, Angel Sanchez, and Toby Eaton swept the top three spots in the men’s 5k. Doherty and Sanchez crossed the finish line together at 14:37.9 for personal bests, with Eaton close behind at 14:40.7.

On the women’s side, Dorcas Jepkosgei won the 5k by nearly a full minute with a time of 16:21.0. Connie Ndiema made her UTA debut as the race runner-up, clocking 17:17.3 to finish 13 seconds ahead of third place.

Roster Depth Across the Men and Women Lineups

The women’s roster features seasoned veterans alongside impact newcomers. Matro Jepkemboi enters her senior season holding three program records—the Indoor 5,000m (16:13.81), Outdoor 5,000m (16:14.72), and Outdoor 10,000m (34:10.78)—along with seven conference medals, utamavs.com reported. Lauren Baur and Abigail Perez also posted career-best 5k times of 18:06.9 and 18:11.2 respectively at the season opener.

For the men, Kebede Kerlin finished 11th overall at the Gerald Richey with a personal-best 15:15.2. Jameson Stewart shaved eight seconds off his previous 5k personal best to place 14th at 15:23.1, while Lucas Whitt debuted with a 15:29.3 performance for 15th place.

Races Begin Saturday Morning at Agri Park

Competition gets underway Saturday morning at Agri Park in Fayetteville. The men’s 8k starts at 10:25 a.m., followed by the women’s 5k at 11 a.m. Live results are available for tracking individual and team progress throughout the races.