Alabama A&M’s Avila earns SWAC Runner and Newcomer of the Week honors

—

September 11, 2025

NORMAL — It was a double dip of awards for Alabama A&M cross country runner Laura Avila this week.

A junior from Medellin, Colombia, Avila was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner and Newcomer of the Week.

Avila posted a top-15 finish at the Belmont Opener as she ran the 5,000-meter course in 19:03.8 to place 14^th.

The Bulldogs tallied 122 points to finish fifth, while Vanderbilt won the meet with 43 points. Belmont was second with 48 points, followed by Lipscomb (63) and Western Kentucky (74). Austin Peay finished sixth with 153 points and Tennessee State rounded out the field with 200 points.

Avila and her A&M teammates return to action Friday morning at the Southern Showcase in Huntsville’s John Hunt Park.

Recent in Sports

Courtland woman indicted for Facebook threat to ‘put a bullet through’ Trump ahead of Alabama-Georgia game

Grayson Everett — 1 week ago

A federal grand jury has indicted a Courtland woman who posted on Facebook that she would “put a bullet through” President Donald Trump if he showed up for the Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa earlier this month, U.S. Attorney Phil Williams announced Thursday. Megan Lorraine Utz, 36, is charged with threats against the President of the […]

Fort Payne’s Alex McPherson earns Auburn’s game ball after a comeback bigger than football

Sherri Blevins — 2 weeks ago

Alex McPherson gave Auburn the winning kick against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday. Afterward, coach Alex Golesh gave him the game ball, recognizing a player whose journey to that moment […]