University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

Rainy Castaneda was the top cross country finisher for the Cardinals for a fifth straight meet and that is why she is selected as this week’s UIW Female Athlete of the Week.  This is the third time she has been named the athlete of the week and she is on the ballot for the UIW Female Athlete of the Year award that is voted on by UIW coaches and sports administrators.  She is the reigning UIW Female Athlete of the Year.

Castaneda led the Cardinals once again with a ninth overall finish at the Southland Conference Cross Country Championships. She finished the 6K race with a time of 21:37.6 to earn second team all-conference honors. The Cardinals finished in fourth place for the program’s best finish since joining the Southland Conference.

Castaneda, a senior government major from Laredo, TX, finished all this season’s meet as the team’s top finisher. She completely surpassed her 17^th place finish at last year’s conference meet.