COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - University of New Mexico junior Ben Ortega was selected as the Mountain West Conference Mens Cross Country Athlete of the Week this afternoon. Ortega earned his first career cross country athlete of the week award after leading the Lobo men to a big victory on Aug. 30 at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational in Santa Teresa, N.M.
The Taos, N.M. native edged 2001 Western Athletic Conference champion, Bashar Ibrahim of UTEP, by 2.78 seconds at the finish line to record his first collegiate cross country victory. Ortega was one of five Lobos to finish in the top-six as the team posted an impressive 36-point victory (19-55) over the host Miners and an 87-point margin over rival New Mexico State (19-106). Ortegas previous best result during the fall was a pair of fourth place finishes last fall.
The 2001 second-team all-MWC selection was one of three Lobos to automatically qualify for the NCAA National Cross Country Championships last fall. He earned his first career MWC Mens Track Athlete of the Week award in April of 2002. Last year, Chris Orrell and junior Matthew Gonzales became the first two New Mexico athletes in the leagues three-year history to receive the weekly cross country honor.
Ortega and the rest of the UNM men and women return to action on Saturday, Sept. 14 when New Mexico welcomes 13 collegiate teams for the UNM Lobo Invitational. h
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