- Michael Moiben is set to make his Aggie cross country debut with two weeks remaining before the SEC Championships.
- The field features 14 women’s teams and 11 men’s teams ranked in the USTFCCCA South Central Region.
- The ninth edition of the Arturo Barrios Invitational marks the third of four home meets on the 2026 schedule.
COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M cross country teams return to Aggieland to host the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course. The men’s 8K is set for 8:15 a.m., followed by the women’s 6K at 8:50 a.m.
The women’s field features a nationally ranked Arkansas squad at No. 27. Fourteen of the South Central Region’s top 15 teams are represented, including No. 1 Arkansas, No. 3 Tulane, No. 5 LSU and No. 6 Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies are ranked No. 4 in the region. The meet also serves as a preview of the NCAA South Central Regional Championships, which Texas A&M will host Friday, Nov. 13. Additional regionally ranked programs from across the country include Eastern Kentucky, Tulsa, San Francisco, Cal Poly and UCF.
The men’s field features 11 of the South Central Region’s top 15 teams, including eight of the top 10. The top-ranked programs include No. 2 Stephen F. Austin, No. 4 TCU, No. 5 Texas and No. 6 Houston, with Texas A&M ranked No. 7. Other regionally ranked programs in the field include California Baptist, Tulsa, Ohio State, App State, Arizona State and Cal Poly.
Michael Moiben is set to make his Texas A&M cross country debut following an impressive 2026 indoor and outdoor track season. He holds program records in the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:37.52) and 10,000 meters (28:28.90), along with the second-fastest indoor 5,000-meter time and fifth-fastest indoor 3,000-meter time in program history. After scoring at the outdoor SEC Championships, Moiben looks to carry that success to the cross country course as the Aggies build momentum toward the 2026 SEC Championships, set for Friday, Oct. 30, in Columbia, Missouri.
At last year’s Arturo Barrios Invitational, the Texas A&M men captured first place, while the women finished third. Jack Johnston and Carter Gordy led the returning men with seventh- and 21st-place finishes, respectively. Debora Cherono and Megan Roberts were the women’s top returning finishers, placing 12th and 24th, respectively.
Fans can follow the meet results through this Link.
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