The Wayland Baptist cross country teams traveled to the mountains of Cloudcroft, NM for their first meet of the 2008 season. Both the Pioneer men and women competed against runners from Texas Tech and Eastern New Mexico Universities on what is the most challenging course they will compete on all year, according to WBU coach Brian Whitlock.

The WBU women finished in second place just nine points behind the runners from Tech. Sophomore Caroline Karunde and Purity Biwott, a freshman, placed second and third with Karunde completing the three-mile course in a time of 19:34, while Biwott ran a 20:09. Red-shirt freshman Selene Lopez was eighth with a time of 21:57. She was immediately followed by seniors Erin Britton (22:03) and Kydia Echols (22:15) who rounded out the top ten finishers, and red-shirt freshman Diana Gutierrez who was 11th (22:22).

Also competing for the Pioneer women was newcomer Katie Roland, who came in 14th (22:50).

The top five performers for the Wayland men completed the four-mile course within 58 seconds of each other. Lucious Lopez crossed the finish line first for the Pioneers with a time of 24:06, which put the freshman in fifth place behind four runners from Tech.

Junior Kirby Dunn was seventh with a time of 24:33. Kail Kidd and Michael Sandoval were 11th and 12th with times of 24:50 and 24:55 respectively, while Adam Henthorn (25:04) and Andrew Lancaster (25:11) finished 14th and 15th.

Rounding out the group of runners competing for the Pioneers were Joseph McKenna (18th - 25:26), Luis Pena (19th - 25:30), Skylar Lovett (24th - 25:47), and John Keith (25th - 25:50).