Seattle University cross country’s Lila Rice (Redmond, Wash.) has been named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Female Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2015, the league office announced Tuesday morning. This is the second time this season Rice has been awarded this honor.
“She’s learning from and focusing in more and more each race,” head coach Trisha Steidl said. “I’m excited to see her in peak form in a month.”
At the Washington Invitational on Friday, Rice finished the 6K in 57th place out of 113 runners with a time of 21:05.8, almost one minute faster than her career best. For the third time this season, she was the first Redhawk to cross the finish line. She now holds the fastest time on the current women’s team roster.
“Lila ran a very strong race Friday and crushed her previous PR,” Steidl said. “She took advantage of the competitive field and capitalized on the energy and strength around her to maximize her own race.”
Rice’s time helped the women finish with an average time of 21:39.
After the race, Steidl said she was happy with the focus and perseverance Rice showed.
New Mexico State’s Jereme Santistevan was named the WAC Male Cross Country Runner of the Week, finishing 25th with a time of 24:59.4 in an 8K that included host Kansas, No. 22 Iowa State, and Nebraska. Santistevan is cited as the top runner for New Mexico State, who are currently ranked at No. 15 in the Mountain Region.
Seattle U stays in Seattle once again as they prepare to host the Emerald City Open at Lower Woodland Park on Oct. 17 for their annual Pink Meet.
Other Men’s Nominees: Nathan McLaughlin (Seattle U) – McLaughlin finished the 8K with a time of 24:28.2, beating his personal best by almost one minute. McLaughlin took 65th place out of 106 runners in a fast, competitive field that included some of the top teams in the country. Four of the Top 12 teams in the nation were running. McLaughlin now holds the fastest time on the current men’s team roster.
“Nate had an incredible, confident race,” Steidl said. “It was a huge PR for him and certainly a confidence boost as he continues to prepare for the end of the season.”
Other Women’s Nominees: Angel Valdez (Bakersfield), Brooke Guoit (Missouri-Kansas City), Cristina Amberg (New Mexico State)