Lorena Rangel‘s exceptional performances in the Mexican Track & Field National Championship earned her a spot at LSU. Here she made history in cross country and track & field. She became only the fourth woman in LSU history to qualify for the NCAA XC Championships, finishing 138th at the final meet. In her final year, she has added another remarkable achievement to her resume. But, the longing for individual gold still looms in her heart! After achieving team gold, she revealed her love for LSU and teammates in a heartfelt confession.

Following her final SEC indoor competition, Rangel shared a heartfelt confession on Instagram. “Well, I guess I’ll be remembered as the silver queen in the SEC 🤣🥈🥈🥈🥈 BUT! I thank God for letting me be a conference champion along with my wonderful teammates…that’s much sweeter than the individual title! 🥇” Rangel Batres wrapped up her SEC indoor career with a remarkable silver medal finish in the women’s mile, clocking in at 4:30.25. This achievement came just days after she helped LSU’s Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team secure gold, cementing her as a key contributor to the team’s success. Her second-place finish in the mile marked the fourth and final silver medal of her SEC career, bringing an emotional and bittersweet close to her journey in the conference.

Despite being an SEC Championship finalist 9 times, she has never won individual gold which seems quite unfortunate. But, she thanked her teammates after winning the team gold and hails that as a bigger achievement than an Individual title.  Reflecting on her journey, Rangel expressed gratitude for her experiences. She further wrote, “Being an SEC finalist nine times is definitely something special ✨ I got to experience the highs and lows of the sport while taking the good and using it for growth!” She narrowly missed First Team honors, finishing as the lone Tiger to earn Second Team recognition. Rangel capped off her SEC XC Championship career with an eighth-place finish in the 6k, clocking 19:30.5—her best finish at the conference meet. It wasn’t all pretty, but the runner emerged stronger than her adversities!

Her journey included setbacks, such as recording a DNF due to injury last season and finishing 17th in 2022, but she rebounded in 2024 by shaving 37 seconds off her previous best time from the Arturo Barrios Invite. Throughout the season, she was LSU’s leading distance runner, securing the top spot for the team in all six meets she competed in.

Perseverance, team success, and personal growth defined Rangel’s legacy at LSU. While she humorously embraces her title as the ‘silver queen,’ her impact on the program extends far beyond individual accolades. Her final SEC performance solidified her as one of LSU’s most accomplished runners. her final appearance marked LSU women’s first conference gold in the DMR in 40 years.

LSU Track and Field team delivers a historic performance at SEC Indoor Championships

The LSU women’s distance medley relay (DMR) team, consisting of Callie Hardy, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Michaela Rose, and Lorena Rangel Batres, delivered a historic performance at the SEC Indoor Championships. The quartet captured gold with a record-breaking time of 10:50.15, setting both a new LSU program record and an SEC meet record on the first day of competition last Thursday. But there’s even more the Tigers have achieved!

SEC men’s and women’s track and field athletes led the nation in 15 individual events heading into the SEC Indoor Championships. Last year, the LSU women finished third indoors with a total of 68.5 points, while the men tied for eighth with 32.5 points. The Bayou Bengals returned two indoor SEC title winners Michaela Rose and Brianna Lyston, bringing high expectations for this year’s competition. Ultimately, the LSU women’s team maintained their strong presence by securing third place, while the men’s team finished in 11th. Now that’s consistency!

LSU’s performance at the SEC Indoor Championships highlighted both individual and team excellence. The historic DMR victory underscored the strength of LSU’s women’s program, while the team’s overall placement reflected their continued competitiveness in the SEC. With standout athletes leading the way, LSU track and field remains a powerhouse, poised for future success in upcoming championships.