Margie Olivares

As the Cardinals prepare to host their second meet of the season on Saturday, all eyes are on freshman Armando Villarreal, who shone under the Friday night lights when he led the men’s cross country team in his first collegiate meet.

Villarreal, a San Antonio native, always knew he would come to UIW. As a kid, he came to a holiday tradition on campus called Light The Way, before it turned into the staple event it is today. When it was time for him to pick a university, he’d toured other campuses, but none compared to the energy and loving environment that he remembered at UIW while growing up.

The freshman, who ran cross country for St. Anthony’s Catholic High School, was ready to start college and take on the challenge of walking on to UIW’s cross country team.

Villarreal did not know if he could compete at this higher level, but he made it his mission to improve. It was not an easy feat in the Texas summer heat. Day in and day out, he would go out for a run no matter what, even on the days when his dad was the little push of motivation he needed to get out there.

The work paid off and did not go unnoticed. When the freshman showed up on campus to begin practicing with the team, it caught the attention of head coach Dr. Derek Riedel. He was the No. 1 guy at the team’s time trials.

“He is an example of [what can happen] if you follow the workouts we send over the summer, you work hard, are motivated and are hungry,” said Riedel.

In the weeks leading up to the opening meet, the team trained together and was the encouragement and spark Villarreal needed.

At the UIW Opener, Villarreal started off strong, staying amongst the leaders from the get-go. He expected a runner from UT-Rio Grande Valley to lead the race, so when he was keeping up with the leaders, he knew that he was in a good spot. In the final two laps, two leaders started to break away from the pack, but Villarreal did not let that slow him down, thinking that if he had made it this far, he might as well finish strong.

Villarreal finished in sixth overall, but first amongst UIW runners. Initially, he didn’t know his final standing due to a close finish between himself and a Texas State runner who was neck-and-neck with him in the final stretch. The Cardinal was all smiles as he walked around after the meet shaking the hands of teammates. He had managed to lead the team to a third-place finish.

This was no longer the freshman who had trained all summer expecting to redshirt his first season. With his first meet under his belt, he was now looking forward to the rest of the season, setting big goals.

“I want to win conference as a team,” said Villarreal. “I want to help the team out a lot. I want to push the other guys. I want to grow as a team and as a family.”