ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2025 campaigns with third-place finishes at the prestigious Joe Vigil Open, hosted by Adams State University on Saturday. Both squads placed behind the nationally ranked Grizzlies and Fort Lewis College in a competitive early-season test on the campus of Adams State.

The CSU Pueblo women tallied 67 points to secure third, led by a strong performance from sophomore Olivia Drodz, who crossed in eighth place with a time of 18 minutes, 24 seconds. Close behind was Camille Renou, cracking the top 10 in 18:25 for 10th place.

Veteran Jadyn Heron continued the pack scoring with a 14th-place finish in 18:32. Sophomore Lily Smithson, a standout freshman a year ago, placed 20th (19:13). Ella Egizio and Taylor Cole provided crucial depth, finishing 24th (19:46) and 26th (19:49), respectively, while Annie Robards rounded out the lineup in 35th (20:53).

In the 8K, the men's team mirrored the women's result, finishing third with 85 points. Senior Jon Sweepe led the ThunderWolves with a 21st-place finish, clocking 25:19. Caden Schweer followed in 24th (25:32).

Two athletes transitioning from the track scene to cross country made their mark. Caleb McLeod, an All-American in the 800 meters, debuted with a 26:31 performance to place 35th. Fellow middle-distance standout Tim Anstett finished 39th in 27:12. Aaron Roberds (36th, 26:31) added another key scoring run.

CSU Pueblo's depth was on display with Nick Hogge (42nd), Bernardo Sada (43rd), Jonathan Charpentier (45th), and Kanyon Cobbs (47th) all contributing in the pack.

Looking Ahead

After a strong start against some of the nation's toughest competition, the ThunderWolves will have a few weeks of training before traveling to Kenosha, Wisconsin. CSU Pueblo will compete in the Pre-NCAA National Championship Invitational on September 27 at the Lucia Rosa Pre-NCAA Invitational, a key test ahead of postseason competition.