The University of the Southwest Cross Country teams competed in the
Red River Athletic Conference Championships on Nov. 3. The RRAC Championships was hosted by and at Texas A&M University in Texarkana, Texas. The Championship was a culmination of all cross-country runners in the RRAC. The men's side of the event was filled with members from six conference schools, while on the women's side there were six schools represented. The men participated in an 8,000-meter race (8k) and the women in a 6,000-meter race (6k). As a team, the men finished fourth and the women finished third. And of the team Arsiaga said, "I am proud of my athletes. They went out and ran a very tough race at conference. Some of my men were injured but nonetheless they pushed through and fought their way to the top. My women did exceptional as well, considering I did not have a full cross-country team." 

On the women's side one individual qualified for the 2023 NAIA National Championships that will take place in Vancouver, Washington on November 17th. Mitzy Madrid placed ninth in a field of 37 runners. She ran her fastest 6k time of the season at 24:51, with an average pace of 6:40 a mile. Madrid is a junior and reigns from Hobbs High where she ran cross country for Coach Bob Jackson. Until this last year, Madrid held the Hobbs High School 5k record time of 18:00. 

Since Madrid's start with the team, Coach Arsiaga has said she continues to see progress, "Madrid is a strong athlete with great potential. Mitzy was in a bad accident this past May and from the accident she had some bruised ribs, but that injury did not stop her from continuing to work. She was back up and running within months of the accident. Every time she runs, she pushes herself to do better. She is a tireless worker. On one of our most recent workouts, a threshold run, I set a pace of 6:50 to 7:00 minute a mile and instead, she ran at an average pace of 6:45 a mile. She is a hard worker who sets her mind to things and tries to do them better each time. I am proud to have her as my athlete. Her 5k times as well as her 6k times have continued to decrease after every meet. If Mitzy keeps pace, she may come close to beating my record." Mitzy is the type of kid who coaches love to coach. They take coaching as a motivation to be better. She is a great teammate who pushes herself and her team to be better every day. Good luck in Nationals Mitzy! Hobbs and Mustang nation are rooting for you!