CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The NJCAA announced its Weekly Awards on Wednesday and the College of Central Florida's Isabella Mesa was named the Division II Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
Mesa, a freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., finished ninth at the Alligator Lake Open, but that was only part of the story in Friday's race.
Mesa was making her collegiate debut after recovering from appendicitis earlier in the season, which she detailed in an Instagram post. She promptly clocked a Central Florida school record in the 5K, posting a time of 22:18.7.
Her efforts helped the Patriots to a third-place finish in the team scoring and a top 5 team average of 22:55, also a school record
Mesa will now turn her attention to Friday's FCSAA Championships, which will run at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.
On Tuesday, she was named the FCSAA Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
?New School Record In Your Debut Race!
— NJCAA Cross Country and Track & Field (@NJCAAXCTF) October 23, 2024
Isabella Mesa of @cfpats finished 9th with a mark of 22:18.7 to set a new PR and school record. Mesa is the #NJCAAXC DII Women's Runner of the Week.#NJCAAPOTW pic.twitter.com/RbsPmC5fit