University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

Rainy Castaneda led the Cardinals to a second place finish in the 40^th Annual Rice Invitational which is why she is this week’s Female Athlete of the Week. Castaneda will now be on the ballot for the Female Athlete of the Year award that is voted on by the UIW coaches and athletic administration at the end of the year.

Castaneda finished in sixth place with a time of 16:45.66 at the Rice Invitational over a sloppy 3800-meter course.  With this placement, she helped the Cardinals close the meet behind Rice University in the 11-team invitational. UIW finished with 99 points, 47 behind the winning host and ten points in front of the University of Houston and Louisiana-Lafayette.  Castaneda and the Cardinals moved into the USTFCCCA South Central Region rankings for the first time since joining Division I following the meet.

Castaneda is a senior from Laredo, TX and is studying government.  The Cardinals cross country team will return to action on September 26 for the Roy Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota.