IRVINE, Calif. - Junior Lukas Amare has been named the Big West Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week the conference office announced Tuesday afternoon.
 
Amare was recognized for his performance at the UC Riverside 8K Invitational where he placed 16th overall, 12th among collegiate athletes and was the top Big West finisher. It was his second-straight top-20 showing and sixth of his career.
 
Amare crossed the finish line at the UCR Ag/Ops Course in 24:09.5, which leads the conference through the first few weeks of the season.
 
Amare is UC Irvine's first Big West Athlete of the Week in men's cross country since 2014.