FRISCO, Texas – Matt Johnsen and Alex De La Garza made the most out of their 2012 cross country debut last Friday, combining to win the 2012 Cardinal Relays, and on Tuesday, the Southland Conference honored the duo with the Southland Athlete of the Week award.

The pairing accounted for the only Lamar male finishers as they clocked in at 62:56.9 for the 12-mile course, outlasting teams from fellow conference members Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin.

This marks the first honor for the Lamar men this season after a Cardinal athlete earned it twice last year. It’s the third such accolade for Johnsen, who has taken home a weekly award in each of the previous two cross country seasons.

After resting this week, the men will return to action next week on September 14 at the Rice Invitational in Houston.

LAMAR