Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Texas Southmost College freshman Emily Ortiz made program history by becoming the first Scorpion runner to win an individual regional championship when she claimed first place at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 14 Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31 at Brownsville Sports Park.
Ortiz crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 50.10 seconds to win the women’s 5K race, while sophomore Angela Soto finished second in 19:01.50 to give TSC a dominant 1-2 finish. The performance helped the Scorpions place second in the team standings behind perennial regional power Blinn College.
Watch a video from TSC below:
The TSC men also finished second in the team standings in the men’s 8K race, highlighting another strong performance for the college’s second-year cross country program.
Historic 1-2 Highlights Women’s Performance
Ortiz pulled away from the field and crossed the finish line well ahead of the competition to secure the individual championship. Soto finished 11 seconds behind to complete the standout performance.
TSC Head Cross Country Coach Basilio Mendoza praised the achievement of his top runners and the rapid growth of the program.
“A 1-2 finish for a second-year program at a regional championship is something unexpected,” Mendoza said. “You can expect it for a fifth-year program, but we did it in our second year. Being 1-2 in front of Blinn, which is an awesome program that has been dominating for a while, was an amazing feeling for me as coach. We’re doing something right.”
Ortiz said last year’s regional meet fueled her desire to return stronger and contend for the individual championship.
“It feels amazing, and I’m really proud to represent TSC,” Ortiz said. “I know our biggest competition was Blinn. We did an amazing job. I wasn’t going to let Blinn beat us again this year.”
The victory carried added significance because Ortiz’s mother was able to watch her compete at the collegiate level for the first time. Most of TSC’s meets are several hours outside the Rio Grande Valley, making it difficult for family members to attend.
“She’s really proud of me,” said Ortiz. “I’m happy she got to see me run. I did this for my mom, so it was all for her. She’s always been there for me and has done everything for me. She has sacrificed everything for me to accomplish my goals.”
Soto said she was proud of both her finish and the team’s effort.
“It’s really cool and I’m really proud of getting second place,” Soto said. “I know I helped my teammates and I think we did a great job.”
Sophomore Indra Ibarra placed ninth in 20:13, freshman Miley Leal finished 12th in 20:32.80, and sophomore Arlene Salinas took 13th in 20:43.50 to round out TSC’s scoring runners.
All five TSC scoring runners earned All-Region honors, awarded to the top 15 runners in each race.
Blinn won the women’s team title with 29 points, followed by TSC with 37 and Jacksonville College with 72.
Scorpion Men Also Finish Second
Sophomore Ubaldo Flores paced the Scorpions in the men’s race, finishing seventh in 27:00.10.
Flores was one of four Scorpion men to earn All-Region recognition. Aidan Swanson placed 10th in 27:21.30, sophomore Ignacio Ochoa Jr. finished 11th in 27:25.10 and sophomore Bryan Perez took 15th in 28:15.
Freshman Ramiro Lozoya rounded out the scoring for the Scorpions placing 21st in 29:31.50.
Blinn captured the men’s team title with 15 points. TSC finished second with 55 points, while Jacksonville placed third with 69.
Another Milestone for the Program
Beyond Ortiz’s individual championship, the meet marked another milestone for the Scorpions, who hosted their first cross country event since the program’s establishment in 2025.
Mendoza expressed his appreciation to the City of Brownsville, Brownsville ISD and the visiting schools for helping make the event possible.
“I’d like to thank the City of Brownsville for helping us out and Brownsville ISD, which pretty much had the route already set,” said Mendoza. “I also want to thank all the other schools for coming over here. It’s so far away. I’m sure they’re realizing that our guys drive a long way every single weekend or every other weekend. Bringing them here was good for us and hopefully they’ll come back again.”
Up Next:
Both TSC cross country teams will now shift their focus to the NJCAA Division II National Championships scheduled for Nov. 14 in Huntsville, Alabama.
The TSC women enter the national meet ranked No. 6 in the latest NJCAA Division II National Coaches’ Poll, while the Scorpion men are ranked No. 19 nationally.
Information source: TSC
