WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State is hosting the annual Mustang Derby on Thursday morning. The women's 4,000-meter race gets underway at 8 a.m. There will also be a men's 6,000-meter race, and girls and boys from area high schools will run at 9 a.m. This year the course is set up at Lake Wichita Park.

Midwestern State is seeking its fourth consecutive Mustang Derby victory.

Ella Pando set the program record for a 4,000-meter course with a time of 14:13.70 on the MSU Campus Course at last year's Mustang Derby.

Pando finished third overall, crossing the finish just behind Oklahoma Christian's Kinley Kite (13:58.50) and Brooke Latham (14:13.20).

But the Mustangs flexed their depth by placing seven runners in the top 18, including all five counters in the first 11.

Jadyn Dangerfield (14:31.00) and Nathalia Escontrias (14:38.00) finished in sixth and seventh places, respectively, while Grace Pineda (14:47.00/10th) and Rosalene Reyes Perez (14:49.20/11th) closed the Mustangs account.

MSU amassed a total of 37 points to easily outdistance Oklahoma Christian's tally of 55.

Cameron was next with 60 as the Aggies were trailed by Dallas Baptist (109) and Ranger College (167) to round out the top five.

Jadyn Dangerfield earned her first collegiate win as Midwestern State earned a 15-point sweep at River Creek Golf Course in 2023. Dangerfield finished the 4,000-meter loop in 14:47.00.

Pando claimed front runner honors for the first time in her career during the 2022 Mustang Derby at River Creek Golf Course, racing to a fourth-place individual finish completing the 5K course in 18:59.90.
Pando had plenty of company from her fellow Mustangs within the Top 10.

Elizabeth Butzke placed fifth with a time of 19:01.00 followed by Mariana Sanchez (19:47.00/sixth), Nathalia Escontrias (19:47.00/seventh), and Rosalene Reyes Perez (19:53.70/ninth) as the Mustangs rolled up a total of 31 points to easily outdistance runner-up Western New Mexico which totaled 75 points.

Midwestern State finished second among 11 schools the last time it hosted a meet at Lake Wichita Park.

Christyn Smith and Butzke paced the Mustangs to the runner-up showing at the Mustangs Invitational.

Smith earned frontrunner honors for the first time in her collegiate career covering the 5,000-meter course in 19:04.6 to finish fifth, while Butzke ran a personal best time of 19:05.9 to take sixth. MSU totaled 72 points to finish behind Oklahoma City, which piled up 57 points.

Oklahoma City's Jacinda Kwambai claimed the individual title with a time of 18:52.00.

Last week, Midwestern State finished third out of 10 teams in the Aggie Duels at Big Green Soccer Complex in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Freshman Konnar McClendon led the Mustangs in the 5k race, crossing the finish line with a time of 19:04.08 to place 10th. Seniors Perla Flores (19:25.82, 12th) and Lula Nolen (19:27.52, 13th) were close behind, while senior Isabel Hernandez rounded out the top-20 with a time of 19:37.67.

Graduate student Kristen Fritsche posted a time of 19:40.07 (21st) in her first race with the Mustangs, while Jackie Earley finished 23rd with a time of 19:54.27 in her first career collegiate race.

Midwestern State finished behind West Texas A&M and East Central with 76 points.

The Mustangs next meet is the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree at Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Sept. 26.