East Texas A&M University Athletics

Finished his A&M-Commerce career as one of the most decorated track athletes in school history... At the end of his career, he held the men's indoor track records in the 800m, the mile run and the 3000m run as well as the distance medley relay... Also held the men's outdoor record in the 800m... Was named the Lone Star Conference Outstanding Male Indoor Track Athlete of the Year two consecutive years and three times in four years. Won a Division II National Title in the 800m as a junior and was runner-up as a senior... He finished his career with seven All-American awards and three Conference Player of the Year awards, the most by a male athlete in school history.

2017 (Indoor): Named First Team All-American in two events... Named to the All-Region Team... LSC Outstanding Male Track Athlete of the Year... First Team All-LSC Selection in the 800m, mile and distance medley relay... Second Team All-LSC Selection in the 3000m, LSC Male Track Athlete of the Week (2/15)... Competed in seven meets in the middle distance events, breaking two of his school records and posting nine first-place finishes... Set a personal-best and A&M-Commerce record of 8:12.44 in the 3000m at the Crimson & Gold Invitational (12/10/16), placing first... Placed first in the 800m, the 4x400m relay and the distance medley relay at the MSSU Southern Invitational (1/20)... Placed second in the mile with a career-best 4:06.64, posting the fastest mile in all of Division II at the Pittsburg State Invitational (1/28), also an A&M-Commerce record... Placed first with a season-best time of 1:49.38 in the 800m at the Gorilla Classic (2/10)... Placed first in the 800m, mile and distance medley relay at the LSC Indoor Championships (2/18)... Placed fifth in the distance medley relay at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships (3/9) and was runner-up in the 800m, earning two All-American honors.

2016 (Outdoor): Competed in six meets… Won the 1500-meter run at the ASU David Noble Relays (4/9)… Placed first in the 800-meters at the East Texas Invitational (4/16)… Tied his personal best and finished second in the 1500-meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational (5/1)… Placed second in the 800-meters and third in the 1500-meters at the LSC Championships (5/5)… Placed fourth in the 800-meters at the NCAA Division II Championships (5/26).
 
2016 (Indoor): Competed in six meets… Ran a personal-best 8:21.59 and won in the 3000-meters at the Crimson & Gold Invitational (12/5/15)… That time set the A&M-Commerce record, beating the previous record by nearly 28 seconds… Placed first in the mile run at the MSSU Lion Invitational (2/5) with a season-best time… Won the 800-meter race at the Gorilla Classic (2/12)… Placed second in the mile run and third in both the 800 and 3000-meter runs at the LSC Championships (2/20)… Won the 800-meter race with a school record time of 1:48.75 at the NCAA Division II Championships (3/11), shattering his own record from 2015 by nearly four seconds.
 
2015 (Cross Country): Named to the All-Conference Team...Competed in five meets… Won the 8K race at the Lois Davis Invitational (9/11)… Season-best 25:10.2 in the 8K at the Oklahoma Baptist University Invitational (10/10), finishing second.
 
2015 (Outdoor): Garnered First Team All-American acclaim by finishing third in the 800m at the NCAA Championships in Allendale, Michigan with a season-best time of 1:49.43 ... Appeared in eight meets for the Lions, competing in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m and 4x400m relay ... Named a USTFCCCA All-Region selection for his work in the 800m ... Won LSC All-Conference accolades by winning gold in the 800m and bronze in the 1500m with times of 1:51.96 and 3:57.42 respectively ... Accrued 14 top-five finishes over the course of the season, headlined by five first place finishes ... Hit a personal best time in the 1500-meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a time of 3:54.88, finishing third. Also set a personal best time of 15:32.56 in the 5K at the East Texas Invitational.

2015 (Indoor): Appeared in four meets for the Lions, competing in the 800m, mile, 3k, 4x400m relay and distance medley relay ... Recorded eight top-five finishes on the year including a first place finish in the mile at the LSC Championships with a time of 4:16.54 ... Named to the LSC All-Conference Team, being named Outstanding Track Athlete ... Won a gold, silver and bronze at the LSC Championships in the mile, 800-meters and 3000-meters respectively ... Set season bests in the 800m and 3000m at the LSC Championships with times of 1:52.26 and 8:52.13 ... Took home LSC Track Athlete of the Week honors ... Part of the Distance Medley Relay team that finished first overall at the MSSU Lion Open with a time of 10:14.95.

2014 (Cross Country): All-Conference honoree by virtue of his 3rd place finish (26:46) at the Lone Star Conference Championships ... Competed in all six meets for the Lions ... Finished first among his teammates in five meets ... Finished 2nd overall at the Lois Davis Invitational (8k) (25:09) ... Ran second overall at the Texas Wesleyan Ram Rumble (5k) (15:27) ... Finished 35th overall at the Chile Pepper Festival (8k) (24:55.9) ... Ran third overall at the ECU Tiger Chase (8k) (26:46) ... Finished 56th overall at NCAA Regionals (10k) (34:35)

2014 (Outdoor): Appeared in seven meets for the Lions, competing in the 800, 1500 and 5000-meters, the steeplechase and the 4x400 meter relay ... Racked up nine top-five finishes on the season, which included four first-place finishes ... Secured Outdoor All-American honors for breaking the A&M-Commerce school record in the 800m with a time of 1:48.74 at NCAA Nationals, which finished third overall .... Hit a personal best in the 1500m at the ACU Wes Kittley Invitational, clocking in at 3:54.89 for a third place finish ... Recorded a personal bests in the steeplechase with a time of 9:53.61 at the LSC Championships... Also set a season best of 15:38.51 in the 5K.

2014 (Indoor): Competed in the four meets for the Lions in the 800m and the Mile ... Qualified for the NCAA Championships in the Mile where he finished 16th ... Recorded two wins as an individual in the 800m and Mile ... One of the wins came at the Lone Star Conference Championships in the Mile ... Member of the Distance Medley Relay team that won at the MSSU Lion Invite to start the season ... Provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 800m as well with his winning time of 1:55.49 at the UCO Invitational. 

2013 (Cross Country): All-Conference honoree by virtue of his 10th place finish (26:14.70) at the Lone Star Conference Meet (8k) ... Competed in all five meets for the Lions ... Finished first among his teammates by placing 29th overall at NCAA Regionals (10k) (31:31) ... Ran 11th overall at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic (8k) (26:26.64) ... Finished 15th overall at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree (8k) (27:18.02) ... Ran 4th overall at the Lois Davis Invitational (8k) (26:27).

2013 (Outdoor): Competed in six meets for A&M-Commerce, running the 800 and 1,500 meters ... Held the top-five 800-meter run times on the year for the Lions ... Earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors in the 800-meters ... Broke a 53-year-old school record in the 800-meter run at the Lone Star Conference Championships, running a 1:51.62 in the preliminaries to best the previous mark of 1:51.80, set by Lion Hall of Famer Socrates Bagiackas in 1960 ... Ran a 1:55.83 the following day in the finals to finish second at the LSC Championships ... Placed second at the UTA Bobby Lane Invitational with a time of 1:52.66 ... Posted a time of 1:54.35 at the Mt. SAC Relays ... Won the 800-meter run at the Tarleton State Invitational with a time of 1:56.43 ... Competed in the 1500-meter run on two occasions, highlighted by a 3:57.35 showing at the North Texas Spring Classic, placing sixth ... Finished second at the season-opening Lion Spring Invitational with a mark of 4:13.23.
 
2012 (Cross Country): Competed in four meets for A&M-Commerce ... Earned All-Lone Star Conference honors after placing 15th at the LSC Championships with a time of 26:08 … Had a season-best finish with a sixth place run at the Lois Davis Invitational, recording a time of 26:08 ... Finished 44th at the NCAA South Central Regional meet with a time of 34:33.

Prior to A&M-Commerce: Earned three letters in cross country and track and field at Montwood… State qualifier as a junior and senior … All-District and All-Region as a junior and senior … Qualified for the state meet in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:51 … Regional champion in the 800-meters … All-City selection in cross country as a junior and senior … Holds school records in the 800-meters (1:51), 1600-meters (4:18) and 3200-meters (9:28).

Personal: Born May 26, 1994 … Son of Ricardo and Reyna Romero... Goes by Ricky.
 
Romero's A&M-Commerce Career-Bests
Cross Country:
8K: 24:55.8 – Chile Pepper Festival (10/4/2014)
10K: 30:56.4 – NCAA Division II South Central Region Championships (11/7/2015)
 
Indoor
800m: 1:48.75* – NCAA Division II Championships (3/11/2016)
Mile: 4:06.64* – Pittsburg State Invitational (1/28/2017)
3000m: 8:12.44* – Crimson & Gold Invitational (12/10/2016)

Outdoor
800m: 1:48.74* - NCAA Division II Championships (5/24/2014)
1500m: 3:54.88 - Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays (3/26/2015)
5K: 15:32.56 - East Texas Invitational  (4/18/2015)
3000m Steeplechase: 9:53.61 - LSC Championships (5/3/2014)
* - A&M-Commerce school record