Racing to New Heights: Inside New Mexico Highlands' Elite Track and Cross Country Teams

Based on the edge of the beautiful rocky mountains, New Mexico Highlands University plays host to a men's and women's cross country team, as well as a women’s track and field team. With plenty of trails and open roads, as well as sitting at an altitude of nearly 6500 feet above sea level, the New Mexico Highlands is unsurprisingly an elite team in NCAA DII cross country. Under the tutelage of head coach Bob DeVries with over 30 years of experience under his belt, the program looks set to remain a competitor at the DII level.

“I feel like the team performed really well this season, because there were multiple races where everyone was in form,” said rising senior Edgar Hernandez. “Our goal was to make nationals and we did that, placing 18th. I thought it was really, really good from the whole team.”

With the team this past season being just nine athletes, the group is very closely knit and a true example of a group that operates as one.

“What really brings the team together is the fact that we are super close, like as family...I see [my teammates] as my family at this point, because we’ve been through so much all these years, and every time we just have had that sense of community,” said Hernandez. “It’s been really good because I think we have healthy competition between all of us.”

With the help of Streamline Athletes, Hernandez managed to find New Mexico Highlands that gave him the opportunity to compete at the NCAA level, as well as have a team that gave him a sense of community and family.

“My senior year, I started just looking up different websites and I saw Streamline Athletes which said it could help me contact coaches. So I signed up, of course, and it was really useful because it tells you by searching your times what you’re good at. It really helped me a lot because I got contacted by a bunch of coaches there and of course Coach DeVries was one of them. That’s when we started talking and that’s how it started between us.”

The women’s side of the team is also very competitive at the NCAA DII level having recently wrapped up the outdoor track and field championships. The team secured five second-team All American awards in the 4x100 and 200 meters, as well as a standout performance from 100 meter hurdler Patreece Clark, who earned her third career NCAA All American honor.

“There were a lot of facility records for Highlands this year. A lot of girls went to nationals, which in my years I think this is the most I’ve seen go from our school,” said senior Chisom Obioha.

Obioha was another athlete that arrived at New Mexico Highlands with the support of Streamline Athletes, helping her pick a university that fit her academic and athletic goals.

“It definitely helped narrow down which school had my major and a good track program,” said Obioha. “It helped me with coaches, figuring out scholarships and everything else which I was really struggling with before.”

To hear about how New Mexico Highlands have found success recruiting with Streamline Athletes check out the New Mexico Highlands Success Story.

For more information on the New Mexico Highlands teams, you can follow along with their progress here or follow them on Track Instagram/Instagram XC.