OLYMPIA, Wash. -- For the second time this season, Alauna Carstens (Jr.) from The Evergreen State College has been named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Women's NAIA National Athlete of the Week. The most recent award was announced on Oct. 21 after Carstens won the women's 6-kilometer race at the Linfield George Oja Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18. Earlier this year, Carstens received the USTFCCCA national honor following a first place finish at the PLU Invitational on Sept. 20.

It was the third USTFCCCA weekly award Carstens has received during her cross country career. Prior to the 2025 season, she also was selected Women's NAIA National Athlete of the Week once during the 2023 season.

At this year's Linfield George Oja Invitational, held at the Oak Knoll Golf Course near Independence, Oregon, Carstens' winning time of 20:15.20 set the Evergreen record and the Cascade Collegiate Conference record. It was the second-fastest time ever recorded for an NAIA runner in a women's 6-kilometer cross country race.

The George Oja Invitational featured 352 athletes in the women's race. Carstens won the race by eight seconds over the second place finisher.

"Alauna loves running," aid Evergreen Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Katie Burnett. "I think one of the things that has helped Alauna be so successful this year is the growth of our team and being able to share her favorite running places with them. Racing is stressful, but having a team to lean on has helped not just Alauna, but every individual runner become better and more confident. When we were recruiting Alauna to run for us, we talked about the impact she could have here with the renewal of cross country. She's been making big waves ever since." 

Evergreen's cross country teams will participate in the CCC Championships on Friday, Nov. 7. The championship meet will be held at the Oak Knoll Golf Course.