Barajas and Tuinstra Earn Scholarships with the Roadrunners

Sandra Barajas of Bangor High School and Emily Tuinstra of Wayland Union High School have earned scholarships and signed their NJCAA Letters of Intent to run cross country for Coach Zac Sartori and the Roadrunners, who are currently ranked #11 nationally.  

Both women joined the 2023-2024 Roadrunners as walk-ons at the start of the season and have been practicing with the team since August 7. Their dedication during practice and early season results impressed Sartori enough to award them scholarships for their freshman year.

"Sandra reached out this summer and expressed interest in running for SMC," Sartori said.  "I wasn't sure at the time how committed she was, but since arriving in early August, she's shown great drive and determination. She's a hard worker and a great teammate. I'm glad that I can reward her efforts and I look forward to seeing her improve as a runner this year." Coach Ben Munoz of Bangor added, "Sandra left a positive footprint for future Viking athletes. Bangor's legacy in cross country continues on because of her perseverance and dedication to competition. Best of luck, Sandra!"

"I had the good fortune of meeting Emily at one of our open house events this past spring," Sartori continued. "She showed interest in running cross country at the next level and so I encouraged her to join us. I wasn't sure how serious she was at that point, but she has shown me a dedication that is inspiring. I'm very excited to watch her grow and improve as a runner. She's already made a significant impact on our program and I'm so happy that I can reward her for that." Wayland Union Coach Jennifer Antel said of Tuinstra, "How exciting! We are thrilled she has decided to continue her running career. We aren't surprised by her early signs of leadership. Emily has always been a great leader with a positive attitude. You will quickly find out that Emily has a never-say-die attitude and she will run through anything. Her absence is noticed this year on our team but we are thrilled she found a new home. We can't wait to see her in action."

Barajas and Tuinstra join Taylor Meier of Paw Paw, Tori Yates and Kierstyn Thompson of Niles and Riley Sinkler and Anna Remelts of Lawrence in SMC's 2023 class.

Following a 25-year hiatus, SMC's legendary cross country teams returned to competition in 2021. In 2022, the men's and women's teams were nationally ranked the entire season, finishing in the top four at the NJCAA Region XII meet in Grand Rapids and in the top 16 at the NJCAA Division II National Championships in Tallahassee, Florida.

This past weekend, the women's team finished 6th against mostly four-year competition at the University of Olivet Comet Open, edging rival Lansing Community College by 3 points.