This past Thursday, at the 98th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays — the second largest track and field meet in the United States — three long-distance runners debuted at one of the most competitive meets in the country, going head-to-head with a stacked field of elite talent. Senior Delaney Long led the way with her 1,500-meter performance, while sophomores Adriana Rodriguez and Arlo Gonzales held their own in the 10,000-meter run on the big stage. With the experience now under their belts, all three runners turn their focus forward, looking to build momentum as the season continues. 

After placing fifth at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Championships at the end of February — and sitting 11th overall in conference for the indoor track and field season — Long earned her way onto the LSC Outdoor Track and Field preseason athletes to watch list. Previously, she had only competed in one other outdoor meet: the Clyde Hart Classic at Baylor University, making Texas Relays only her second race of the season. At Baylor, she ran a 4 minute, 47.16 second race; a mere four seconds more than her 4:43.55 personal record (PR). However, at Texas Relays, she stumbled early in the race, fell and finished in the final position. But, even with an unfortunate end to her race, she still felt grateful for the opportunity. “I felt great,” Long said. “I felt like I belonged.”

At the conclusion of the indoor track and field season, Rodriguez ranked 10th overall in the conference in the 5,000-meter. The previous weekend at Baylor, she competed in the event for just the second time, placing 11th with a time of 19:04.38. Carrying that momentum into a bigger stage, Rodriguez made her debut in the 10,000-meter race and stepped up against elite upperclassmen. She placed sixth with a time of 39:31.71 — a strong performance in her longest race of her career thus far. Looking ahead to the rest of the season, “I look forward to doing something more, getting faster and building upon that,” Rodriguez said. “I was just very grateful to have the opportunity to race here and represent St. Ed’s.”

At Baylor, Gonzales finished in the top five in the 5,000-meter with a time of 15:39.05, continuing to establish himself as a consistent distance runner. He carried that momentum into Texas Relays, where he recorded a personal-best 32:17.85 in the 10,000-meter, showcasing both his endurance and growth at the longer distance. The race marked his first 10,000-meter of the current track and field season and just the third of his young career, with his previous appearances coming at last year’s Bobcat Invitational and the outdoor track and field conference championship. As he continues to gain experience in the event, Gonzales is positioning himself to be a key contributor for St. Edward’s in distance races moving forward, “I’d say, same thing looking forward to the next race, a PR is a PR, so we’re just gonna keep building off that,” Gonzales said. “I’m glad our coach entered us into this to get to do this. It was a great field, great competition, that only pushes you to go faster.”

With three meets remaining before the Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 7-9 in Canyon, Texas, Long, Rodriguez and Gonzales enter the last stretch of the season. As the postseason approaches, the trio will look to make the most of their recent performances, using the remaining meets to position themselves for a strong showing at the conference meet.