Under the lights at Fun Valley Sports Complex in Hutchinson, Kansas, the Dodge City women's cross country team kicked off the 2026 season at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic for the tenth consecutive year. 

The Conquistadors raced to a third-place team finish on the night led by a pair of Top 10 individual finishes. 

Sophomore Denae Arellano led the charge for the Conqs, posting a sub-20-minute time of 19:54.16 to earn a fifth-place finish out of 44 runners. Not far behind Arellano was freshman Mia Hegwood, who in her first collegiate race posted a time of 20:03.84 to place seventh.

Sarai Rodriguez had the third fastest time for the Conqs, finishing 15^th with a time of 21:05.38 as she improved upon her time as a freshman at the same event last year by 32 seconds. Jennifer Lamas also recorded a faster time at the event than from her freshman season last year, placing 22^nd with a time of 21:47.14 

Kamilla Dombi finished out the Conqs team score as she placed 26^th with a time of 22:12.30. Kristina Bates and LeiAnn Maize recorded times of 22:25.14 and 22:26.70 to finish 28^th and 29^th, while Karen Vargas Alvarez capped the Conq performances, placing 33^rd with a time of 23:58.09. 

Conqs are back under the lights for their next race of the 2026 season as they make the trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to compete at Rogers State Distance After Dark on Thursday, September 3^rd.