BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama A&M University's Laura Avila was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, while freshman Iyndia Bey earned SWAC Newcomer of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.
 
The duo earned the honors after helping Alabama A&M capture its third consecutive team championship with a dominant performance in the Silver Division at the Louisville Classic on Saturday.
 
Avila captured the individual 5K title with a time of 18:20.2, finishing 4.8 seconds ahead of Bellarmine's Kynzlei Bassett. The senior's victory helped the Bulldogs place five runners inside the top 10 and finish with 27 points, 58 points ahead of runner-up Bellarmine.
 
Bey continued her impressive freshman campaign by finishing eighth overall in 19:02.5. She was one of five Alabama A&M runners to place among the top 10 as the Bulldogs posted an average scoring time of 18:47.38.
 
The team victory was Alabama A&M's third straight after previously claiming championships at the Legacy Series Invite and Southern Showcase.
 
On the men's side, Jackson State's Ryan Achau received the SWAC Runner of the Week honor, while Texas Southern's Aden Ortega earned Newcomer of the Week accolades.
 
Alabama A&M returns to action Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla.
 
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