BEAUMONT, Texas – The recent decisions to cancel the remainder of the 2020 spring athletics schedule has left a void for sports fans across the country. LamarCardinals.com thought it would be a great time to take a look back at some of the great moments, athletes and coaches that have helped Lamar University stand out in the competition arena. Over the course of the coming days and weeks, LamarCardinals.com will be posting stories – in no particular order – reliving some of these great moments.
 
After a beautiful closeout, Evelyn Chavez captured Lamar University's sixth individual Southland Conference Women's Cross Country title in 2016 by overtaking Sam Houston State's Ana Moreno with just 1,000 meters of the 6,000-meter course remaining. Chavez held off her challenger and won the race by two seconds in 21:12.7. Chavez's teammate Jannika John finished third.
 
"That was a huge improvement for Evelyn. She finished 10^th in her freshman season and 11^th last year, and this season she showed up as an individual champion," said head cross country coach Tony Houchin. "That is a testament to the hard work she put in, and is a good story as local Texas kid."
 
"Tony does a great job of setting up a race plan for us. Jannika and I ran a really relaxed race through the first three kilometers, and after we started to roll. With one kilometer to go, we started to make a move," said Chavez. "I'm really, really proud of how our team finished.
 
"It feels great," the Porter, Texas, native said. "It fulfills that goal we had in mind to start the season."
 
She and John led the group for most of the race, but Sam Houston's Ana Moreno snuck in during the last couple of kilometers and claimed second. John crossed in 21:19.4. The two finished together in each race of the year, and topped the Lamar unit each time.
 
"Jannika was third last year and she was third again this season," said Houchin. "It's hard to find that kind of consistency in any conference, no matter where you look."
 
As she had been all year, Georgia Tuckfield was Lamar's third finisher with a 22:26.3 in 16th overall. Erika DeWitt was the fourth to cross for Lamar in 46th at 24:08.2 and Alexandra Sokolva, who battled an injury throughout, was 48th in 24:09.2 time. That rounded out the scorers for Big Red.
 
"I am proud of the ladies and their third place finish," said Houchin. "They really worked to improve and had to make life changes."
 
Meghan DuPree finished the race with a 24:28.1 time and Evie Reavis in 24:47.2.

Chavez went on to win the fourth SLC Female Athlete of the Year award for Lamar and is the third athlete to do it joining Minttu Hukka in 2014 and Clerc Koenck in 2006 and 2007.

Please continue to check back with LamarCardinals.com as we continue to update more Great Moments in Cardinals History.
 
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