Wetzel Named MW Men’s Athlete and Freshman of the Week, Dalbec Picked as Women’s Athlete of the Week

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 8, 2026) – Wyoming cross country earned three Mountain West weekly awards as freshman Habtamu Wetzel was named the men’s Athlete and Freshman of the Week while senior Eowyn Dalbec was named women’s Athlete of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday.

In the first week of the 2026 cross country season, Wetzel and Dalbec won the individual titles at the Wyoming Invite last Friday, in Cheyenne, Wyo. These are both their first meet wins and MW weekly honors.

In the men’s 5k, Wetzel, from Afton, Wyo., finished with a time of 15:15.0 to lead Wyoming to a second-place team finish. His time was a personal best by 26 seconds. In the race, he had to win his own personal Border War, overcoming a pack of CSU runners to cross the line first, eventually doing so by over 10 seconds.

Dalbec, from Peyton, Colo., held a substantial lead over the field when she crossed the line at 17:38.0, more than 19 seconds ahead of the next best finisher. She led the Cowgirls to a perfect 15-point team finish and broke CSU's 7-year win streak at the meet. Running unattached a year ago at the Wyoming Invite, she improved her time by 72 seconds.

Stay up to date with Wyoming cross country by following @wyo_track on X and Instagram.

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