Women's Cross Country 11/9/2025 12:28:00 AM

At snowy national meet, No. 11 Blinn men place 14th, No. 19 women take 18th

Both Blinn teams improved on their team finishes from 2024

Women's Cross Country 11/9/2025 12:28:00 AM

At snowy national meet, No. 11 Blinn men place 14th, No. 19 women take 18th

Both Blinn teams improved on their team finishes from 2024

Jesse Parker and the Blinn College men's and women's cross country teams were expecting a wintery mix at Saturday's NJCAA Division I Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships.

Instead, Fort Dodge, Iowa, transformed into the North Pole.

As a heavy snowfall quickly blanketed the Lakeside Golf Course, the 19th-ranked Buccaneer women and 11th-ranked men finished 18th and 14th, respectively, in a pair of memorable races.

Odessa College captured the women's title, while Iowa Central Community College claimed the men's championship.

The races were broadcast live by the NJCAA, and for large periods of time, runners were difficult to spot in a virtual whiteout.

Chloe Ross National Meet 2025

Blinn's Chloe Ross runs the women's race at the NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championships on Nov. 8, 2025

"It was an unforgettable experience for all of us," said Parker, whose teams were competing at nationals for a second consecutive season. "We all came away from the competition in good spirits and enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

In the women's race, 26 teams competed and 177 runners crossed the finish line.

The Buccaneers improved on their 21st-place finish from 2024, led by a 68th-place individual performance (67th for team scoring purposes) from Chloe Ross. The freshman completed the 5-kilometer run in 20 minutes, 37.3 seconds.

"I believe that we raced very well today despite the unfamiliar conditions we were given," Ross said. "Racing in the snow was definitely a unique experience for us, and we all agreed that we were going to need to run a strategic race and pace ourselves throughout the muddy and snowy course. Our team really put forth a good effort and executed a good final 5k for the season."

Freshman Rosario Botello finished behind Ross in 80th place (77th team) in 20:51.5; freshman Kaitlin Wilson was 85th (82nd team) in 20:59.8; and sophomores Mia Guillen (21:36), Clare White (22:13.3), Sophie Pyle (22:19.7), and Juliana Jeansonne (22:33.2) were 101st (96th team), 122nd (116th team), 124th (118th team), and 129th (122nd team), respectively.

On the men's side, 30 teams and 210 total runners participated in the 8k race.

The Bucs overcame some mid-race adversity after freshman Matthew Binkley – Blinn's top runner this season – slipped and fell in the snow halfway through the 8K race. Binkley recovered and crossed the finish line, and his teammates rallied around him to earn a team finish six spots better than 2024.

Ryan Fernandez & Eric Lagat National Meet 2025

Ryan Fernandez & Eric Lagat National Meet 2025

Blinn's Ryan Fernandez, front, and Eric Lagat run the men's race at the NJCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championships on Nov. 8, 2025

Freshman Ryan Fernandez paced the Bucs with a time of 26:59.9 and earned 50th place (49th team). Sophomore Eric Lagat crossed the finish line in 27:04.7 for 56th place (54th team); Binkley finished his gutsy performance in 27:36.2 for 77th (74th team); freshman Brandon Lopez was 100th in 28:05 (97th team); sophomore Christian Gonzalez took 124th in 28:38.4 (121st team); freshman Aidan Hernandez was 162nd in 29:39.5 (154th team); and freshman Nolan Schreiber capped Blinn's finishes by finishing in 181st in 30:21.4 (173rd team).

"Running at the national championships was amazing, and it was definitely a unique experience," Fernandez said. "It was a challenge for the team, but I know we all gave everything we had."

Parker praised Binkley for what he called incredible determination and also recognized Lopez for a clutch performance down the stretch. Lopez passed 82 runners across the final 2000 meters of the race to give Blinn's team score a substantial boost.

"I felt good late in the race and knew I had some gas left in the tank, so I pushed myself," Lopez said. "Hearing the cheers motivated me to go harder. I know my finish had a big impact on our score, and I feel very proud for being able to help my team."

Blinn's season will come to an end when the Buccaneer men and women compete in the NJCAA Division I Men's & Women's Half Marathon Championships on Tuesday, Nov. 11, also at the Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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