By Luke Thomas, September 22, 2026
Ricardo Vargas earned the U.S. Track & Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division II Men’s National Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 8 after his performance at the Coyote Challenge in San Bernardino, becoming the first Bronco in the cross-country program to be recognized for the title.
The sixth-year graduate student finished second with a time of 24:17.9 in the 8,000-meter race. The race Sept. 5 served as the season opener for Vargas’ final collegiate cross-country season.
“I think (the recognition) is a testament to what our program has been able to accomplish the last few years,” Vargas said. “Hopefully it’s not the last one of the year that I receive.”
Vargas credited the coaches, and the athletes’ eagerness to learn from them, for helping the cross-country program reach new heights since COVID-19, including this first USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week recognition.
At the time of the race, it was his third best 8,000-meter race, just two seconds behind his personal best set last year. With the time, Vargas set a new Bronco record at the California State University, San Bernardino Campus venue, placing eighth of all time for the venue and fifth for the Coyote Challenge.
“It shows what kind of runner Ricardo is,” head coach Chris Bradford said. “He stepped up to the challenge and ran a really solid race for early in September. It’s really exciting for him to get (the USTFCCCA recognition) for the work he’s been putting in.”
In addition to the USTFCCCA recognition, Vargas was named FloCollege/CCAA Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week for the third time, following his recognitions in 2022 and 2025.
With Vargas now entering his last cross-country season before graduating, redshirt senior Jimmy Guerrero took notice of Vargas’s leadership in connecting with the team’s up-and-coming freshman and sophomore athletes.
“He’s always trying to get the team to hang out,” Guerrero said. “He’s always setting up things like hangouts, even if it’s just small stuff. … We’ve only been practicing with each other and we’re already super close (with the freshmen) … I think that’s due to Ricardo setting all those things up.”
Vargas said the trust the underclassmen athletes have in him has allowed him to help shape the future of the team. He hopes that the team’s development leads to an amazing performance at the NCAA Championships and more USTFCCCA All-America honors for the team alongside himself. Vargas was the first Bronco since 2017 to earn USTFCCCA All-America honors with a 21st place finish at the NCAA Championships last year.
This past weekend, Vargas raced with the Broncos at the University of California, Riverside Invitational Sept. 19, placing second with a new 8,000-meter personal best of 23:26.4. This time is the fastest 8,000-meter in the CPP cross-country program’s history.
Vargas will return to race with the rest of his team in the Cougar Challenge at San Marcos Oct. 3, bringing him back to compete on the course of his former 8,000-meter personal best.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
