FORT WORTH, Texas – Midwestern State is competing in its fourth meet of the year as it returns to the DBU Old Glory Gallop, the largest collegiate cross-country race in Texas, for the fourth consecutive year. The starting gun sounds Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m.

This year's event is being staged at the AP Ranch, which is a youth track club for athletes aged 9 to 18, and boast a strong field of teams from across NCAA Division II. 

The grass course features long gradual climbs and descents. Warm and dry weather has left the ground firm and compact. The forecast on Saturday calls for temperatures in the high 80s at race time.

Dallas Baptist won the first two editions of the Old Glory Gallop but finished third last year behind Rice and Cal-Poly Pomona. However, DBU has captured the individual title in each of the past three years. Lesli Salas has won the last two years, but she is unable to defend her cowboy crown due to injury.

Midwestern State finished ninth among 45 schools last year, amassing 247 points at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. 

Ella Pando turned in the 10th-best 5,000-meter time in program history to place 36th overall at 18:18.00. Jadyn Dangerfield ran an 18:35.00 to take 53rd, and Rosalene Reyes Perez finished in 18:44.00 to finish 63rd. Grace Pineda finished 70th with a time of 18:51.00.

This year's field will include: UT Tyler, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Cameron, Angelo State, Texas A&M International, Western New Mexico, UT Dallas, Eastern New Mexico and UT Permian Basin from the Lone Star Conference.

MSU-Denver, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon, Washburn and Auburn-Montgomery are among the other NCAA Division II schools in the field. 

There is also a mix of Division I programs running in the event, including North Texas, Texas Southern, Houston Christian, Prairie View A&M and Texas State.

Midwestern State is coming off a good showing at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree, where the Mustangs finished third among eight Division II schools with 362 points in the 6K race at the Greiner Family Cross Country Course.

Ella Pando finished with 59 points and a time of 22:38.0 to lead the Midwestern State contingent. Jadyn Dangerfield was the second Mustang to cross the finish line with 65 points and a time of 22:46.1. Grace Pineda ran the course in 23:06.3 and finished with 75 points. Konnar McClendon (23:30.1) and Rosalene Reyes Perez (23:20.6) came in together and finished with 81 and 82 points respectively. 

The average time for the top-5 Mustangs was 23:02 and they were separated by 42 seconds.

Perla Flores was sixth for the Mustangs with 92 points (23:46.5), and Lula Nolen finished seventh with 105 points (24:11.6) for Midwestern State.

Isabel Hernandez (24:40.2), Jackie Earley (24:49.8) and Jazira Perez (25:54.8) also wore the Maroon & Gold across the finish line.

This is the Mustangs final event before the LSC Championship at Lynn Creek Park on Oct. 25.