Tomas Vega Breaks 8k School Record, T-Birds Win Region V and WJCAC Championships

The NMJC men's cross country team won the 8k Region V Championship and WJCAC Championship for the first time since 2021 on Saturday, Oct. 28 at Harry McAdams Park.

The T-Birds finished in first place with 32 points, Hill College came in second place with 69 points, and El Paso CC placed third with 72 points.

Tomas Vega continued to break records at NMJC on his way to a fifth victory this season. The sophomore distance runner won the individual title at the Region V Championship with a school record and course-record finish of 23:04.80, which beat his previous time of 23:20.34. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native earned himself All-Region and All-Conference honors with the finish. Vega came in third place last season in the Region V Championship with a time of 23:42.60.

German Vega knocked off 20.62 seconds to place runner-up for the fourth time this season with a 23:07.20 finish. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native picked up All-Region and All-Conference honors with his performance Saturday morning. Vega placed fourth last season in the Region V Championship coming across the line in 23:50.90.

"Tomas and German ran well at regionals, and they were a big part in helping us win the Region V Championship," men's cross country head coach Jeff Becker said. "They are great leaders for this team and set the tone for us each meet with their performances."

Wilson Navarrete placed a career-best fifth overall at the Region V Championship. The 24:51.90 season-best finish earned the San Jose De Chimbo, Ecuador native All-Region and All-Conference honors.

Alex Keter finished in 10th place overall with a time of 25:20.00. Keter redeemed himself in this year's regional meet after overcoming an injury he suffered during the 2022 regionals where he finished 42nd with a time of 28:41.70. The sophomore from Kapsabet, Kenya earned All-Region and All-Conference honors with his finish on Saturday.

Freshman Paul Maurer was the fifth runner to count toward the team score for the T-Birds. Maurer placed 14th overall with a time of 25:37.00, which was enough to earn All-Conference honors.

Sophomore Marc Pauvert slid into the fold in 19th place with his 26:11.50 finish. Freshman Cyprien Bille was the last runner across for the T-Birds coming in 40th place with a time of 27:45.60.

The Thunderbird cross country teams made history Saturday morning with their Region V and WJCAC Championship wins. This was the first time in school history both the men and women have swept the championships in the same season.

"It is not easy to win the region and conference," Becker said. "This is one of the hardest regions in the NJCAA. We have been building and working hard for years in order to win with both teams. I am proud of them for accomplishing this very challenging task."

The Thunderbird men now will gear up for cross country nationals in two weeks as they compete in the NJCAA Cross Country Championships at 9:30 a.m. CDT on Saturday, Nov. 11 in Huntsville, Ala., at John Hunt Park. The men will also compete in the Half Marathon at 9:15 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at John Hunt Park.

"If we run to our full potential in two weeks, we will have a great shot at winning in Huntsville," Becker said.