Jan. 28, 2013

TUCSON - The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association announced the male and female athletes that were named National Athlete of the Week on Monday. This is the first year the honor has been in place and in the third week of the season, junior Lawi Lalang was named Men's National Athlete of the Week.

At the Razorback Invitational on Saturday, Lalang made his 2013 season debut by competing in the 3,000-meter race. Lalang won and clocked a personal-best time of 7:42.79. He finished more than 15 seconds in front of runner-up Kevin Williams of Oklahoma, who happens to be the second-fastest collegian in the nation. That time broke Lalang's previous school record of 7:48.44 that was set on February 25, 2012 in Seattle, Wash. His time is also the No. 1 collegiate time in the country and the No. 1 time in the world for the 3,000 meters this year. Lalang's time also ranks as the No. 3 time in collegiate history in the event and is the fastest by a collegian since Arkansas' Alastair Cragg set the collegiate record and ran a 7:38.59 in the same building in 2004.

The Women's National Athlete of the Week was pentathlete Makeba Alcide of Arkansas.