ROCKINGHAM — For the second time this fall sports season, Mariana Mendez has been named the Official Richmond County Female Student-Athlete of the Week presented by HWY 55.
Showing up when it mattered most, the junior cross country runner put on a clinic during the Sandhills Athletic Conference championship meet last Tuesday.
Mendez, who has been Richmond’s top Lady Raider runner all season, earned her third career recognition from the Richmond Observer.
Athletic Profile
Year: Junior
Fall Sport: Cross Country
Seed: No. 1
Years on Varsity: 3 years
Other Sports: Soccer
“NEW RECORD” WITH MARIANA MENDEZ
The Richmond Senior boys’ and girls’ cross country teams ran in the SAC championship meet at Dragon Park in Laurinburg.
Like she’s done all season, Mendez paced the Lady Raiders against all the other top female runners in the conference.
She earned a respectable fifth place overall, collecting the first five of Richmond’s 84 points, which placed the team third in the final standings.
Her top-five finish also awarded Mendez the honor of making the All-SAC team.
It was her second straight year of making All-Conference, and her fifth-place mark was also the best finish of her career in the championship meet.
Seeming to run her best at the SAC title meet, Mendez recorded a new personal record time in the 3.2-mile race.
Her previous best race time was set during the championship run at Dragon Park during her sophomore season, and this year’s time of 21:22.41 was 13.44 seconds faster than her previous PR.
This week, Mendez and both Richmond teams are preparing for the NCHSAA 4A Mideast regional tournament. It will be held Saturday at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
Junior Mariana Mendez (second row, third from right) poses with other members of the All-SAC team. (Photo contributed by Tami Davis McInnis.)
RAPID RESPONSE VIDEO WITH MARIANA MENDEZ
In her video interview, Mendez breaks down her new PR, what she’s doing to prepare for regionals and what her expectations are. She also talks about her favorite class and shares who her mentor is.
The Richmond Observer will publish its Official Richmond County Male Student-Athlete of the Week soon.
