As the fall season rolls in, the El Paso Community College (EPCC) Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are setting their sights on the horizon, or more accurately, the finish line at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championships in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The competition, taking place at the picturesque Lakeside Golf Course on November 8th, is set to be a battleground for athletic prowess and endurance, where EPCC's teams will strive for national acclaim.
The Tejanas, EPCC's women's team, currently ranked third in the nation behind Odessa College and Iowa Western according to the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country NJCAA rankings, carrying with them 230 points, have already made their mark by securing second place at the Region V championships, thus earning an automatic entry to Nationals, the EPCC men, despite their 20th national ranking, received an at-large berth, thereby confirming their place at Nationals as well.
Felix Hinojosa, the EPCC Athletic Director and head coach for the Cross Country team, has been vocal about the expectations and effort employed by the team to reach this competitive stage, "Our team worked hard to get to nationals, we expect them to 'do their job' give us their best effort this weekend and next week," Hinojosa stated in a proclamation, according to EPCC News.
