Balli leads UTSA women to runner-up finish at UIW TwilightBalli leads UTSA women to runner-up finish at UIW Twilight
Aaron Fox
Track & Field/Cross Country

Balli leads UTSA women to runner-up finish at UIW Twilight

SAN ANTONIO — Abby Balli finished second to lead the UTSA women's cross country team to a runner-up finish on Friday night at the UIW Twilight.
 
Meanwhile, Idol Ramon and Michael Paredes finished in the top 20 to help guide the Roadrunners to sixth place in the men's 6k race.
 
Balli was joined in the top five by Madi Henry as that duo helped propel the Roadrunners to second place in the seven-team women's field. UTSA tallied 56 points to finish close behind the host Cardinals (42) and ahead of Trinity, UTRGV, Our Lady of the Lake, North Texas and Texas Lutheran.
 
Balli, a senior out of Pasadena Memorial High, covered the Classics Elite Soccer Academy 4,000-meter course in a time of 14.36.8 to place second out of 70 runners on a balmy night at McAllister Park. 
 
Henry, a transfer from UIW who originally hails from New Braunfels, was close behind in fourth place with a 14:54.9.
 
Four Roadrunners made the top 17, as Chante Dixon crossed 14th overall in 15:14.5 and Savannah Lopez was 17th with a time of 15:25.5.
 
Brooke Veltman was the fifth UTSA runner to cross, placing 26th in 15:46.8, while Sidney Bravo and Lily Morrill finished 33rd (15:57.7) and 40th (16:13.5), respectively.
 
In the men's 6k, Ramon led the Roadrunners with a time of 19:23.2 to finish 17th with Paredes right behind him in 19th place with a 19:26.6 clocking.
 
Landon Blankenship was the third UTSA runner to cross the line, timing 19:56.3 for 37th. Dominick Landin was 52nd in 20:40.1 and Gabe Hernandez closed out the lineup in 60th (21:03.5).
 
The Roadrunners will return to action on Sept. 16 when they travel to College Station for the Texas A&M Invitational.
 
-UTSA-