Blinn Cross Country Region 14 Champions 2026

General 11/2/2026 10:00:00 AM

Blinn sweeps Region 14 championships for second consecutive year

Men's team posts perfect score as both Buccaneer squads repeat as regional champions, earn All-Region honors

General 11/2/2026 10:00:00 AM

Blinn sweeps Region 14 championships for second consecutive year

Men's team posts perfect score as both Buccaneer squads repeat as regional champions, earn All-Region honors

The Blinn College men's and women's cross country teams swept the Region 14 team championships Saturday in Brownsville, Texas, as both squads captured their second consecutive regional titles.

Competing against Texas Southmost College and Jacksonville College, the Buccaneers dominated both races, with the men's team recording a perfect score of 15 points and placing all five scoring runners inside the top five. The women's team finished with 29 points and placed five runners inside the top eight.

The men's team was led by sophomore Gage Horejsi, who claimed the individual championship with a time of 25:20.6 in the 8K race. Sophomore Brandon Lopez finished second in 25:50.6, followed by sophomores Aidan Hernandez in third (26:25.0), Matthew Binkley in fourth (26:32.3), and Ryan Fernandez in fifth (26:35.4).

Horejsi said the Bucs focused on getting off to an aggressive start as part of their preparation for the national championships.

"Coach told us to go out fast, and I've been struggling with that all season," Horejsi said, "but when the gun went off, I felt really good and ran 15 seconds faster for my first mile than in my other races this season. It was odd to front run after the first 1,000m, but I just had trust in my fitness."

On the women's side, freshman Mehria Rashidi paced Blinn with a third-place finish in the 6K race in 19:06.1. Sophomore Chloe Ross followed in fifth (19:33.8), freshman Jaquelin Garcia Padron placed sixth (19:45.2), sophomore Rosario Botello finished seventh (20:02.0), and freshman Genesis Rivera took eighth (20:07.3).

Rashidi recorded a personal best in the race and said the team's championship performance provided additional motivation heading into the national meet.

"I set a new PR. I pushed harder than ever, and that effort pushed not just me but our whole team to victory," Rashidi said. "However, we are not done yet. We are all excited about racing at nationals."

The women's team captured its second consecutive regional championship despite competing without its No. 2 runner, Annie Fildes, who was held out as a precaution after rolling her ankle during the previous week.

The Bucs relied on their depth, with the next four runners after Rashidi all finishing among the top eight. Garcia Padron delivered one of her best performances of the season, breaking the 20-minute mark for 5,000 meters for the first time. Blinn head coach Jesse Parker said freshman Ximena Banda also stepped up in an important role for the team.

Both Blinn squads earned multiple first-team All-Region 14 selections. Rashidi and Ross received the honor for the women's team, while Horejsi, Lopez, Hernandez, Binkley, and Fernandez earned recognition on the men's side.

The Bucs will now turn their attention to the NJCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Huntsville, Alabama.

"We are certainly excited about winning another regional championship," Parker said, "but all of our athletes understand that the most important race of the year is our next one."

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

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Players Mentioned

Matthew Binkley: Sophomore

Ryan Fernandez: Sophomore

Aidan Hernandez: Sophomore

Gage Horejsi: Sophomore

Brandon Lopez: Sophomore

Ximena Banda: Freshman

Rosario Botello: Sophomore

Annie Fildes: Freshman

Jaquelin Garcia Padron: Freshman

Mehria Rashidi: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Matthew Binkley
: Sophomore

Ryan Fernandez
: Sophomore

Aidan Hernandez
: Sophomore

Gage Horejsi
: Sophomore

Brandon Lopez
: Sophomore

Ximena Banda
: Freshman

Rosario Botello
: Sophomore

Annie Fildes
: Freshman

Jaquelin Garcia Padron
: Freshman

Mehria Rashidi
: Freshman