Cross Country runner Lila Rice has been named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Female Runner of the Week for the second time
this season.

The junior from Redmond, Wash. has had an exceptional season so far. For the fourth time this season she has been the first runner from Seattle University to cross the finish line. Rice also beat her career best time by over a minute at the Washington Invitational on Oct. 2, finishing the 6K with a time of 21:05.8.

Lila Rice

“She is racing well and I expect she’ll continue to build upon this as the season progresses,” coach Trisha Steidl said.

Rice’s success and recognition from the WAC displays her hard work and constant training.

“Training a lot over the summer has helped me to be successful this season,” Rice said. “I’ve learned to make goals and then work to
reach them.”

This past weekend at the Emerald City Open, the only home meet of the season, Rice put on an impressive performance. Despite running on the hilly terrain of Lower Woodlands Park, she placed second out of 72 women with a time of 22:12.3, beating her previous time on the course by 34 seconds. Her time helped the women’s team place third in the 6K.

While Cross Country is a solo sport, the support of the team still plays a major role.

“Being around my teammates is super motivating, especially before meets,” Rice said. “My biggest accomplishment in Cross Country is when we won the Western Athletic Conference Championship. It was an amazing feeling.”

Rice’s history of running is commendable, as well as extensive. She started running in the fifth grade, when she participated in a local Walk-A-Thon. She ran throughout high school for the Redmond High School Mustangs and also ran for the Rain City Flyers, a club team which she helped win a state title in 2009. Joining the Redhawks in 2013, her hard-working spirit has proved to be a valuable asset to the team.

A nursing student, Rice came to Seattle U for the proximity to the city. Her work as a student has also been recognized by the conference, as she has received WAC All-Academic Honors three times now.

Along with her honorable athletic performances, Rice is a student like any other; she enjoys binge watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix and eating at the Bistro. She likes to ski and is an avid reader.

“It is hard for me to name a favorite book,” she said. “Every new book I pick up and read becomes my favorite.”

Rice also enjoys going to concerts; artists she would love to see live are Chet Faker, Purity Ring, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Stemming from her nursing studies, Rice is passionate about Public Health Awareness. She shows this passion by writing for EthnoMed, Harborview Medical Center’s website that contains information about immigrant and refugee health and culture in the Seattle area.

As her performances keep improving, Rice is a runner to look out for at the Western Athletic Conference Championships in Orem, Utah
in two weeks.

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