Results

        WINDCREST, Texas — Freshmen Brian Tarus and Steven Wilson qualified for NAIA nationals and led Xavier University of Louisiana's men to a third-place team finish Friday at the Red River Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Windcrest Golf Course.
        Tarus was the Gold Rush's first finisher for the second consecutive meet and the second time this season. He ran 8,000 meters in 28 minutes, 52.9 seconds and placed 13th out of 37 runners. Wilson finished 15th in 29:50.7.
        Tarus and Wilson will compete Nov. 19 at NAIA nationals at Vancouver, Wash.
        Tarus produced the Gold Rush's fastest 8K at a league meet since Christopher August won the 2016 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference title at Jacksonville, Fla., in 28:32.23.
        XULA — a longtime GCAC member that won 12 men's team titles in that league from 2006-19 — placed third behind Southwest (N.M.) and Our Lady of the Lake. OLLU scored 15 points, followed by Southwest with 73 and XULA with 74. The team finish was higher than XULA's fifth place in 2015, when cross country competed in the RRAC as an affiliate member.
        XULA's other finishers were Ahmad Wilson (19th, 31:41.0), Jordan Ashmore (23rd, 33:12.1) and Dayton Jamierson (24th, 33:24.5). This was the first time this season that the Gold Rush produced the minimum five finishers to qualify for team scoring.
        OLLU senior Jose Zarate was the individual champion in 25:21.8, and freshman teammate Julio Sanchez was second in 25:40.4.