The Lady Patriots finished 7th overall at the 36th Annual Chili Pepper Cross Country Festival.  Lesli Salas led DBU with a 20th-place finish and a time of 17:07.   

  
PATRIOT STORYLINES  

- DBU will host the Old Glory Gallop for the third consecutive year.  

- The USTFCCCA ranked Dallas Baptist No. 22 in the nation after their performance at the Chili Pepper Festival. 

- The Lady Patriots have not lost the Old Glory Gallop. 

- This is the last regular season meet of the year, so every eligible athlete on the team will toe the starting line. 

  
MEET PREVIEW  

After competing just one week ago, the No. 22 DBU is back to racing at their very own Old Glory Gallop.  This race marks the end of the regular season campaign but also serves as the team's home meet and a celebration of the season.  With over 50 teams scheduled to race, this will be the biggest and most competitive Old Glory Gallop to date.   
 

If DBU wants to complete the OGG three-peat, they will need great races from the top down.  Lesli Salas is the presumed top runner, leading the Lady Patriots to start the season.  Last year, Salas claimed the Cowgirl Crown, winning the Old Glory Gallop with a time of 17:22.1.  Veterans Megan Williamson and Jenna Howard have raced the Lynn Creek Park course multiple times over their DBU tenure, giving them an all-important edge over the field.  Also relying on their experience will be Emme O'Donnell and Emily Cole.  Both seniors will look to make a significant impact in their final home course race.  Rounding out DBU's top seven from the Chili Pepper Festival are Kylie Himes and Makayla Stephens.  Racing at the UTA Invite to open the season, Stephens has already competed on the same course, something she will use to her advantage.   

 

The Chili Pepper Festival revealed that when the Lady Patriots are racing at their best, they can compete with the best in the nation.  Even though six of the seven girls toeing the starting line were doing so for the first time that season, they came within 50 points of Western Colorado.  However, this meet will put their grit to the test. 

 

The best Division II team in the field is DBU, but Cal Poly Pomona is not far behind.  Ranked 29th last week, the Broncos are a strong team out of the West Region that will look to give the Lady Patriots and the remaining South-Central teams a run for their money.   Currently slotted as the sixth-best team in the West, a win over DBU would significantly hinder DBU's chances of receiving an at-large bid. 

 

To keep their winning streak alive, DBU will also need to fend off Division I Rice University.  The Owls competed at the Chili Pepper Festival as well and placed fifth overall with a strong pack separated by just 23 seconds.  If the Lady Patriots want to win, they will need to group hunt, sticking together in their own pack.   

 

The field is going to be packed with other Division II programs, especially from the South-Central Region.  MSU – Denver (ranked last week ahead of DBU as the 10th-best team in the region) and New Mexico Highlands are both coming down from altitude to race, an advantage they will look to exploit.  The Lone Star Conference will also have a strong presence, including teams like Midwestern State, Lubbock Christian, and St. Edwards.