GEORGETOWN, Texas - Concordia University Texas cross country athlete Kamron Loera obliterated the field and claimed first place at the Southwestern Showdown. The junior clocked in at 26:30.5 (8K), which was 55 seconds faster than the next best time. The first-place finish marks the first that a CTX student-athlete won an individual event since Emily Villines in 2017.

In the men's race, the Tornados claimed second place overall. Thomas Hughes (27:51.8, 6th) and Matthew Kangas (27:57.0, 7th) both secured top-10 finishes as well, while Samuel Valdez also cracked the top 15 with a time of 28:42.4.

Dion Arriaga placed 16th at 29:03.9, while Alexandro Barrera tallied a 24th-place finish at 29:36.6. Rounding out the scoring for the men was Aaron Ramos (29:52.9) in 28th and Edward Wells in 56th (32:39.4).

Rookie runner Ashley Rivera led the charge for CTX with a team-best time of 27:48.8 (27th). Belkin Vega-Molina crossed the finish line at 29:03.0 (38th), while Mackenzie Dixon finished 46th at 30:34.6. Freshmen Cachelle Flores (33:18.3) and Lluvia Rodriguez (35:07.1) earned the final points in the loaded field as the Concordia finished in seventh. 

Concordia Texas will now have two weeks to prepare for the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas on September 30th.

Click here to view the full details from the race.

MEN'S 8K INDIVIDUAL
1) Kamron Loera 26:30.5
6) Thomas Hughes 27:51.8
7) Matthew Kangas 27:57.0
14) Samuel Valdez 28:42.4
16) Dion Arriaga 29:03.9
25) Alexandro Barrera 29:36.6
29) Aaron Ramos 29:52.9
52) Edward Wells 32:39.4

MEN'S TEAM SCORES
1) Southwestern 42
2) Concordia Texas 44
3) McMurry 44    
4) UT-Dallas 85
5) ETBU 127
6) Texas Running Club 181
7) UMHB 205
8) Huston-Tillotson 233
9) Schreiner 262
10) UNT-Dallas 309

WOMEN'S 6K INDIVIDUAL
27) Ashley Rivera 27:48.8
38) Belkin Vega-Molina 29:03.0
46) Mackenzie Dixon 30:34.6
51) Cachelle Flores 33:18.3
54) Lluvia Rodriguez 35:07.1

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
1) McMurry - 60
2) ETBU - 60
3) UMHB - 64
4) UT-Dallas -94
5) Southwestern - 119
6) Texas Running Club - 130
7) Concordia Texas - 193

To keep up to date with everything surrounding the CTX cross country program, follow us on social media (@ctxathletics) and visit athletics.concordia.edu.