The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Arturo Barrios Invitational
Cross Country preview: Arturo Barrios Invitational
10.15.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns return to Watts Cross Country Course for final regular-season meet before SEC Championships.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Cross Country returns to competition Friday at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas, for its final regular-season meet before the Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships. The meet will be held at Watts Cross Country Course, which will also host the NCAA South Central Regional
Cross Country at Arturo Barrios Invitational
When: Friday, Oct. 16 | Men's 8K: 8:15 a.m. | Women's 6K: 8:50 a.m.
Where: Watts Cross Country Course | College Station, Texas
The Longhorns enter the meet after the men captured the team title at the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 3, while the women placed sixth. Following the meet, Hudson Bennett was named SEC Men's Runner of the Week for the first time in his career, while freshman Kai McCullough earned his third SEC Men's Freshman of the Week honor of the season.
Bennett placed third overall in the men's 8K at Chile Pepper in 24:09.8, helping Texas score 64 points for the team victory. McCullough finished seventh in the team scoring in 24:20.4 as the Longhorns placed three runners among the top seven in the team scoring.
On the women's side, Aishling Callanan has been Texas' top finisher in three of the team's four meets this season. She led the Longhorns at the Chile Pepper Festival with a 20th-place finish in the 5K in 17:00.1. Six Texas women established new 5K bests at the meet.
Texas will compete on Watts Cross Country Course for the second time this season after racing at the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 11. Friday's meet is the Longhorns' final regular-season competition before the Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30 at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri.
Watts Cross Country Course has hosted five NCAA South Central Regional meets, two SEC Cross Country Championships and the 2022 USATF Junior Olympics National Championships. The dedicated cross country course meets the specifications required to host the NCAA Cross Country Championships. In 2025, it also became the host site for the Nike Cross Country South Regional.
The Texas men's entries include Bennett, McCullough, Joaquin De La Cruz, Zain Hamdani, Colby Huntress, Ezekiel Kipkorir and Aidan Torres.
The women's 6K lineup features Callanan, Lili Denton, Marissa Espinoza, Melody Espinoza, Lily Fawcett, Molly Garrison, McKale Lee, Mia Perez, Kaylin Rendon, Emma Rodriguez-Wade and Cara Sims.
