Saint Mary's cross country runner Joseph O'Connell finished second out of 140 runners in his first race as a Gael.
The college named him Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 22, according to SMC Athletics.
O'Connell, a redshirt senior who transferred from the University of Tulsa, completed the 7.853-kilometer course at the Sept. 18 Saint Mary's Invitational in 23 minutes, 5.6 seconds. The race at Newhall Park in Concord was run on a flat, hard-packed gravel surface with four 2K loops. It was the program's first home meet since the 2021 West Coast Conference Championships.
He was the first men's cross country runner this season to receive the weekly honor.
O'Connell wasn't the only Gael near the front. Senior Jacob Moffett finished third in 23:19.8, and fellow redshirt senior transfer Damian Frausto placed ninth in 23:29.6 in his own Saint Mary's debut. The three top-10 finishes powered the Gaels to second place out of 13 teams, their best team result since winning the 2024 Pacific Invitational against a seven-team field.
The jump was steep. At their 2026 season opener, the USF Invitational, Saint Mary's had placed 10th out of 17 teams.
Originally from Milford, England, O'Connell is the second Gael in recent years to transfer from Tulsa, following Oisine Spillane, a 2026 class member. In his final race before joining Saint Mary's, O'Connell ran an 8K in 24:45.8 at the American Athletic Conference Championships, finishing 32nd.
Head coach Harlan Lopez's transfer additions drew preseason attention. WCC coaches picked Saint Mary's to finish third in the conference poll, and all three key transfers, O'Connell, Frausto and Dennis Cheruiyot, were named to the preseason All-WCC team. Cheruiyot finished 43rd at the invitational in 24:14.1, also in his Gael debut.
Joel Fischer, who led the Gaels at the USF Invitational earlier this season, rounded out the top five with a time of 24:14.9, finishing 44th.
Saint Mary's returns to competition Friday, Oct. 2, at the Pacific Invitational at Micke Grove Golf Course in Lodi.
