The Master’s University’s men’s cross country program welcomes four new student-athletes for the upcoming 2017 season.

TMU’s Mustangs are slated to open their 2017 campaign on Saturday, September 3, at the Mark Covert Classic in Fullerton.

Keylan Meneses, Bakersfield
Meneses enters his time as a Mustang with an impressive athletic resume crafted at West High School, a member of the South Yosemite League in Bakersfield. In addition to competing for the school’s cross country team, the Bakersfield native also competed in track & field in the 400m, 4x400m, 800m, and the 1,500m events. In 2013, Meneses helped lead the Vikings’ cross country program to a Valley championship. Based on his excellence in the classroom, Meneses received academic honors during his final two years of high school.

“Keylan will make his third college stop at The Master’s University after spending one year at Bakersfield College and Riverside City College,” said TMU head coach Zach Schroeder. “I believe Keylan will develop tremendously with the environment we offer at TMU. We are looking forward to joining him on the rest of his collegiate journey. He will be a key part of our cross country squad and will help strengthen our mid-distance team during the track season. Keylan is a very talented athlete with tremendous potential.”

Meneses plans to major in Kinesiology & Physical Education. In addition to cross country, Meneses will also compete for TMU’s track & field program.

Wesley Methum, Santa Rosa
Methum brings a wealth of experience gleaned from his time competing in cross country and track & field for Rincon Valley Christian PSP, a private satellite program that has a footprint in the Coastal Mountain Conference. In 2016, the Santa Rosa native was named the 3,200m league champion, a cross country league champion, and a CIF state qualifier. Notably, Methum also earned first-team All-Empire honors.

“Wes Methum was highly recommended to me by his high school coach, Harry Skandera, who also coached Jeff Jackson,” Schroeder said. “Jeff was the first NAIA All-American I ever coached, as well as the first national champion for our program. Through the years of working with Jeff, I developed a great respect for Harry, and with his strong recommendation, we became very excited about Wes as a prospect. During the recruiting process, everything Harry said about Wes proved to be true, and I believe he will be a contributor to our scoring team this fall. Wes has tremendous talent as a runner, and we are very excited to help him reach the height of his potential.”

Methum plans to major in Kinesiology & Physical Education. In addition to cross country, Methum is also slated to compete for the Mustangs’ track & field program in the spring.

Kevin Pacheco, Palmdale
Pacheco kicks off his collegiate career at The Master’s University after enjoying successful cross country and track & field seasons at Desert Christian High School, a member of the Desert Mountain League in Lancaster. The Palmdale native is no stranger to TMU as his older brother, Stephen, currently competes for Mustang cross country and track & field. In his time at Desert Christian, Pacheco helped lead the Knights to a CIF State Championship, earned a spot on the CIF finals track team, was a member of the CIF prelims team, and set a multitude of school records.

“Kevin Pacheco will be a great addition to our roster,” Schroeder said. “He will no doubt be part of a strong mid-distance program we are developing and will hopefully be part of our 4x800m team for the track season. In cross country, I am confident that he has a great potential to emerge as a leader in the years to come. Kevin is full of talent, and I am 100 percent sure he has an amazing opportunity to develop under our training system. Kevin was part of a state champion high school team, and I believe that his experience will bolster his role with our team as he helps us build a very tight-knit group of guys that love the Lord, and work hard together. He has experienced winning at the state level, and hopefully we can win at the national level before he graduates.”

Pacheco plans to major in Business Administration. In addition to cross country, Pacheco will also be competing on TMU’s track & field program in the spring.

John Cameron Bandstra, Ludington, MI
Bandstra joins the Mustangs’ cross country and track & field programs after competing for Ludington High School in Ludington, Michigan, a member of the Lakes 8 Conference. With the Orioles, Bandstra enjoyed a successful career with the school’s cross country program and even posted standout times in the 800m, 4x400m, and 4x800m events during track & field seasons. In addition to earning first-team all-conference honors, Bandstra’s excellence in the classroom earned him a spot with the National Honors Society.

“Cameron is a great addition for us,” Schroeder said. Although he has only 10 months experience with the sport, I already know he will be a key component of our program. Cameron has been coached by Craig Fuller, who himself was an Olympic trials qualifier and coached for 19 seasons with Central Michigan University. After speaking with Craig, I knew Cameron was the type of athlete we absolutely wanted. He is a perfect mission match not only for TMU, but for our team as well. I believe Cameron has just found the sport that will develop him not only athletically, but more importantly, spiritually.”

Bandstra plans to major in Business Administration.

In 2016, TMU’s men’s cross country team won its seventh straight GSAC title and finished the season ranked fifth in the NAIA after an impressive showing at the national championship. Hoping to build on 2016’s outstanding marks, TMU looks to a strong future after graduating only two seniors and returning a handful of veterans.