Off running the Dodge City men's cross country team opened the 2025 season, competing at the annual Terry Masterson Twilight Classic in Hutchinson, Kansas, as they ran under the lights at Fun Valley Sports Complex. 
 
The Conquistadors raced to a fourth-place team finish, finishing as the third-highest finishing NJCAA team at the meet. 
 
After a strong track and field season last year for the Conqs, Josue Vega would pace the Conqs in the season-opening race as he posted a time of 21:29.08 to finish 14th out of nearly 100 runners. Freshman, Rafael Zaballa del Hoyo, was just shortly behind his teammate and grabbed a Top 20 finish, placing 19th behind a time of 22:09.58. 
 
Three more Conqs finished in the Top 30 for the race as Oscar Leal Jr., Eddie Carmona Ortiz, and Eddie Salinas Millan had strong starts to their Conq careers. Leal earned a 27th-place finish with a time of 22:50.79, while Carmona Ortiz placed 29th (23:05.94) and Salinas Millan recorded a 30th-place finish (23:09.39). 
 
Another trio of Conqs finished in a pack as Jose Chavez Ramirez, Elijah Kisner, and Juan Badillo raced to 35th, 36th, and 37th place finishes with times of 23:34.64, 23:37.23, and 23:38.37. 
Anthony Godfrey and Dash Garton finished out a strong group of runners for the Conqs as they finished 47th (24:03.97) and 78th (26:54.82). 
 
Up next, the Conqs will run a night race again as they travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compete at the Rogers State Distance After Dark race on September 4th.