MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference announced the 2026 SSAC Men's Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week, with UT Southern's Bruno Villazon earning SSAC Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week honors for the week of April 6–12.

Villazon, a sophomore from Santander City, Spain, continues to emerge as one of the conference's premier distance runners, collecting his second-career outdoor weekly honor following a standout performance against a loaded field at the Crimson Tide Invitational.

Competing against a deep lineup featuring top NCAA Division I and II talent, Villazon delivered a breakthrough performance in the 5000 meters, clocking a time of 14:25.90 to hit the NAIA "B" qualifying standard. His effort placed third overall out of 43 runners, firmly establishing him among the top competitors in the field and reinforcing his position as a key contributor for the Firehawks in distance events.

Villazon's performance marks another significant step forward in a strong outdoor campaign, as he continues to build momentum heading into the championship portion of the season.

Also recognized by the conference was Life's Darius Barge, who earned SSAC Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week honors after recording a 17.06-meter throw in the shot put to meet the NAIA "A" standard.

Previous Winners (Track, Field)
Week 1: Ollie Brumfield IV (Loyola), Damirian Thompson (Mobile)
Week 2: Jaylyn Session (William Carey), Romaine Lewis (William Carey)
Week 3: Hollis Morton (Brewton-Parker), Keondre Glover (Life)
Week 4: Will McGough (Mobile), Darius Barge (Life)

UT Southern will look to carry this momentum into the upcoming SSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships as the Firehawks continue their push toward postseason competition.

FOLLOW THE FIREHAWKS
Stay up to date with all the latest action from UTS Athletics! Follow the Firehawks on social media:
Twitter: @utsathletics
Instagram: @utsouthernathletics
Facebook: @UT Southern Firehawks

Don't miss a moment — Go Firehawks!