SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Santa Clara University women's cross country senior Milaina Almonte was named West Coast Conference Runner of the Week Monday for the week of Sept. 21-27 after earning her first individual win of 2026 and second of her career on Friday.
 
Almonte broke the winner's tape in the open race at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational, hosted by Loyola Chicago at the Sydney Marovitz Golf Course. Her performance helped lead the Broncos to a fifth-place finish.
 
Almonte blew away the competition Friday. She beat the entire field by 14 seconds, crossing the finish line in first place with a time of 20 minutes, 14.82 seconds, over the 6-kilometer course. She led wire-to-wire and made her biggest move with a strong kick over the final 1,000 meters, growing her lead from six seconds through 5 km to 14 seconds at the finish.
 
Almonte and the Broncos next compete in their own Bronco Invitational on Oct. 17, in Sunnyvale.