Lake Forest College cross country runner Jorge Villanueva was named Forester Athlete of the Week on Thursday after making history at Saturday's NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships.
Villanueva finished 29th out of 253 runners and his 8-kilometer time of 25:27.8 ranks third in program history. The top 35 finishers earn all-region honors and he is the first Forester to accomplish that feat. On Sunday a selection committee announced the field for the 2018 NCAA Division III Championships and Villanueva made the list, becoming the first runner in team history to qualify for the meet.
Villanueva has now turned in three of the top five and six of the 20 fastest times in program history this season.
The NCAA Division III Championship Meet will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wisconsin, this Saturday. The men's 8-kilometer race, which includes 280 runners, will begin at 12:15 p.m.
Forester Athletes of the Week are selected by the Athletic Department on Thursdays. Villanueva also earned the honor two weeks ago for his performance at the Midwest Conference Championships.
