SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Trinity cross country teams open their season this Friday evening at UIW Twilight in San Antonio. The Tigers have been opening their season at the meet since the 2019-20 season. Competing with stiff, mostly Division I, competition, they are the only Division III school on the starting line.
 
This will be the first test for the Trinity men, who enter the season with high ambitions despite graduating their top three finishers at last year's NCAA West Regionals. In the SAA Conference's preseason poll, they rank second behind Berry College, trailing by just one vote.
 
At the previous year's Twilight meet, the Tigers finished fourth with three runners under 19 minutes for 6k. Three competing runners made their way onto the school's top 10 list in track last spring: Nathaniel Trevino in the 5,000-meter, Logan Nasky in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and Thomas Melina Raab in the 1,500-meter and 800-meter. With a core of strong seniors and significant momentum from track season, they will look to contend for an even higher finish at this year's Twilight meet.
 
The Trinity women enter the season coming off a conference championship in the SCAC last spring, and lose only two of their top seven runners from the previous year's regional meet. In the SAA's preseason poll, they rank first in front of Centre College.
 
They finished sixth at last year's Twilight meet with three runners under 15 minutes for 4k. In the spring, three competing runners found themselves on the school's top 10 list: Emerson Voldan in the 5,000-meter, 1,500-meter and 800-meter, Josette Gurule in the 1,500-meter and Annette Smith in the 1,500-meter and 800-meter. Behind a slew of high-performing returners, the Tigers look to improve on last year's Twilight meet finish.
 
Both teams begin their first fall campaign in the SAA, looking to leave their mark on the new conference in year one. After the Twilight meet, they will stay in San Antonio for the UIW Invitational on September 12.