USW's Espino, Saenz earn first RRAC runner of the week awards of 2025

WACO, Texas – Christopher Espino of University of the Southwest (N.M.) garnered the RRAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week award for Aug. 25-31, while USW's Elianna Saenz was named the RRAC Women's Runner of the Week for the same dates.

Espino posted a time of 18:27 in a field of NCAA Division I runners at the Lori Fitzgerald Open. The junior from Hobbs, N.M., recorded his best time since high school and finished 70^th.

Saenz finished 52^nd at the Lori Fitzgerald Open while competing in her first collegiate meet. The freshman from Plainview, Texas, completed a time of 22:08, which is 10^th best in school history in the 5K distance.

2025 RRAC cross country weekly selections: