Cross country competed at McNeese Cowboy Stampede

The Nicholls State University cross country team ran in the McNeese Cowboy Stampede
Saturday at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex in Lake Charles.

The men's and women's team finished seventh overall out of eight teams at the meet, with four of
them being Southland Conference opponents.

Head coach Stefanie Slekis said she saw improvement from the entire team and that they
continue to progress at each competition. Slekis said an inexperienced team finishing ahead of a
more established team in a meet is a great sign.

“I think it takes time to build a winning tradition in any sport,” Slekis said. “I think going out and
competing in a meet like that and having a team finish seventh out of eight teams, that is great
progress.”

Senior runner Hannah Naquin finished 29th overall with a time of 20:21.5 and freshman runner
Eleana Callejas trailed Naquin by about 20 seconds, finishing 39th overall with a time of
20:41.3.

For the rest of the women’s team, redshirt junior runner Taylor Douglas finished with a time of
21:41.0, redshirt junior runner Courtney Troxclair finished with a time of 21:44.3 and senior
runner Lucija Barac finished with a time of 23:41.1.

Freshman runner John Paul Spera finished 34th overall with a time of 23:15.0. He has finished
first for the men’s team in each of the three races they have competed in this season.

The rest of the men’s team included freshman runner Trey Lowery, who finished 38th overall
with a time of 23:53.5, freshman runner Tristan Breaux, who finished 42nd overall with a time of
25:43.4, sophomore runner Teril Cooper, who finished 44th overall with a time of 26:25.8 and
sophomore runner Darryl Cooper, who finished 46th overall with a time of 30:34.0.

The Colonels compete again in less than two weeks at the Mississippi College Invitational on
Oct. 14. The women compete in a 6K starting at 8:30 a.m. and the men will compete in a 10K at
9:15 a.m.