NEW ORLEANS – Cal Poly Pomona men's cross country standout Ricardo Vargas was named the M-F Athletic/USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Men's National Athlete of the Week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced Tuesday.
 
The national recognition comes one day after Vargas was selected as the FloCollege/CCAA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
 
Vargas began his final collegiate cross country season by finishing second overall and first among collegiate competitors at Saturday's Coyote Challenge in San Bernardino. The Lake Arrowhead native completed the eight-kilometer course in 24:17.9, finishing behind only an unattached runner.
 
His performance helped the No. 17 Broncos capture the team championship with 27 points, 39 fewer than the second-place finisher. CPP placed all five scoring runners among the top nine and seven runners inside the top 14.
 
Vargas' time was the fastest by a Bronco in the program's three appearances at the Coyote Challenge, improving upon the previous CPP meet-best mark of 25:21.6 established by Evan Franco in 2024. The performance also ranks among the top 25 8K times in program history.
 
The national honor adds to a decorated career for Vargas, who earned USTFCCCA All-America recognition with a 21st-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. He also placed second at the 2025 NCAA West Region Championships and third at the CCAA Championships.
 
Vargas was previously named the CCAA Runner of the Week twice, earning the award during the 2022 and 2025 seasons. Tuesday's announcement marks both his first career USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honor, and the first in program history.
 
Cal Poly Pomona returns to competition at the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, September 19th, in Riverside.