The University of Texas at Dallas men’s cross country team celebrates its first American Southwest Conference championship on Saturday in Abilene, Texas.

The UT Dallas men’s cross country team captured the American Southwest Conference (ASC) championship for the first time in program history on Saturday in Abilene, Texas.

After runner-up finishes at the postseason meet in 2016 and 2017, the Comets edged Hardin-Simmons University by four points for their first title. Freshman Cannon Leavitt and sophomore Andres Uriegas both earned first-team All-ASC honors, finishing third and fifth, respectively.

Hollee Ratliff

Leavitt, who earned ASC Freshman of the Year honors, finished with a time of 27:14, while Uriegas came in at 27:47. The Comets will next compete in the NCAA Division III South/Southeast Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 10, in Mount Berry, Georgia.

Meanwhile, junior Hollee Ratliff earned first-team All-ASC recognition for the third straight year after placing sixth in the women’s cross country championship race. Katherine Merola, who finished 16th, earned second-team All-ASC honors.

Postseason Runs Begin for Other Teams

The UT Dallas men’s soccer team, which is hosting the 2018 ASC championship tournament, will play in the semifinals against East Texas Baptist University at 5 p.m. Friday.

The Comets (12-2-2), who finished the regular season atop the ASC standings, beat Hardin-Simmons University, 2-1, on Tuesday to advance. The league title game will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The women’s soccer team (16-1-1) advanced to the semifinals of its ASC tournament with a 2-0 win over East Texas Baptist on Tuesday. The second-seeded Comets will face the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 8 p.m. Friday in Abilene.

The volleyball team (21-8) will begin its quest for a fourth consecutive conference championship on Friday as the top seed from the ASC’s East division. The double-elimination tournament will be held at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.