ADA, Okla. – For just the third time in school history an East Central University student-athlete will be participating in the XXXII Olympic Games, as former cross country standout Juan-Joel Pacheco Orozco will run in the men's marathon, representing his home country of Mexico.

"I am very excited to earn the right to represent Mexico in the Olympics," said Pacheco Orozco.  "It has been my dream since I was a kid to run in the Olympics."

He earned a chance to join the Mexican team after hitting an Olympic A Standard Time at the 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon and Armco Houston Half Marathon.  He finished the marathon with a time of 2:10:58.

Pacheco Orozco followed that accomplishment up with a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games Men's Marathon.  He finished with a time of 2:12:10, just behind his Mexican teammate Jose Luis Santana (2:10:54), who claimed the silver medal.



"I am very happy and I can't believe what I accomplished," Pacheco Orozco added.  "I have been working hard for the last few years to earn a chance to run in the Olympics. I am very proud to be part of ECU and I am thankful that coach Sawyer always believed in me, like he does for all his athletes.  Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger!"

Pacheco Orozco is the third ECU student-athlete to participate in the Olympics and the first from the cross country team.  The Tigers saw two athletes compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.  Cherene Hiesl was the starting center fielder on the Canadian softball team and Rebecca Cotton was a member of New Zealand's first Olympic women's basketball team.

"We are extremely proud of Juan for this accomplishment," said head coach Steve Sawyer.  "While he was at ECU he did nothing but impress me for the three years he was here.  He is an amazing person who deserves all the good things that come his way.  He is one of those athletes who reminds me of why I became a coach in the first place.  I cannot wait to see what he will do next.  A national record for his country of Mexico is not out of the question."

While at ECU, Pacheco Orozco had a stellar career, including helping the team to the NCAA National Championship meet in 2015 and advancing to the 2014 NCAA Championships as an individual.  In the 2014 NCAA National Championship he finished 50^th in a time of 31:43.9 (10K) and in 2015 he was the top Tiger runner in 55^th and a time of 30:47.4.

Over his career, he claimed United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Central Region honors (2015), was the Great American Conference Runner of the Year in 2014, was a two-time All-GAC First Team selection and a five time GAC Runner of the Week.

Before joining the Tigers, Pacheco Orozco claimed the 2013 NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field 10K National Championship while running at Colby Community College.  He also finished third in the 5,000 Meters in the same meet and claimed three All-America honors.

The XXXII Olympic men's marathon is set to start Sunday, August 8 at 7 a.m. (Japan Standard Time).