WACO, TEXAS (Sept. 6, 2022) – Jose Zarate of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) earned the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week award for Aug. 29-Sept. 4, while OLLU's Deandra Ibarra was recognized as the RRAC Women's Runner of the Week for the same dates. This is the first set of cross country awards for the 2022 season. 

Zarate posted a top-five result to lead OLLU to second in the team standings at the University of the Incarnate Word Twilight Meet on Friday. All teams were from NCAA D1, D2 and D3 schools. The graduate student from Mentone Beach, Calif., placed fifth in a field of 83 runners. His time of 18:39.2 broke the OLLU record for a 6K race, surpassing Jonathan Yanez's best in 2013. 

Ibarra finished 11th in a field of 70 runners in her first collegiate meet at UIW. The freshman from San Benito, Texas, set a new school mark with a time 15:06.3 in the 4K distance, surpassing the record set by Nadia Sifuentes last year. OLLU placed fifth in the team standings.