WAC Cross Country Athletes of the Week Announced
DENVER – UT Rio Grande Valley's Abraham Chirchir and Grand Canyon's Elizabeth Balsan have been named the Western Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Athletes of the Week, respectively, for August 26 through September 1.
Chirchir, a sophomore from Iten, Kenya, set a PR and ran the fourth-fastest 6K in program history, winning the UIW Opener with a time of 18:17.9. As a team, UTRGV finished second out of seven teams in the season-opening meet.
Balsan, a senior from Anchorage, Alaska, finished first among 31 runners at the Cactus Open against runners from Arizona and Arizona State. She covered the new 2.7-mile course in 15:57.3 to set the course record as she led Grand Canyon to a second-place team finish.
Other Men's Nominees: California Baptist's Arturs Medveds led the Lancers at the Mark Covert Classic, finishing the 8K course in 25:47.8 … Grand Canyon's Jacob Lewis took fourth at the Cactus Open with a time of 19:03.3 over 3.7-miles … Kansas City's Max Selbach ran a 19:23.7 6K to lead the Roos at the Bob Timmons Classic … NM State's Michael Kirwa was the top Aggie finisher at the Lobo Invitational, covering the 5K course in 15:58.30 … Seattle U's Nathan Pixler ran well in a dual against third-ranked Washington, covering a four-mile course in 20:55 … Utah Valley's Hawk Call led the UVU to victory at the Vivint UVU Invitational, running a 15:38.2 5K for his first collegiate victory.
Other Women's Nominees: California Baptist's Anna Mate led the Lancers a the season-opening Mark Covert Classic, taking 10th in the 5K with a time of 18:23.9 … Kansas City's Sommer Herner ran a 19:05.3 5K to lead the Roos at the Bob Timmons Classic … Seattle U's Olivia Stein finished ninth out of 21 runners in a dual against third-ranked Washington, running a 17:48 over the three-mile course … UT Rio Grande Valley's Dorcas Koech won the UIW Opener with a time of 14:51.0 in the 4K race … Utah Valley's Maddie Bench Empey led the Wolverines at their own Vivint UVU Invitational, finishing fifth in the 5K with a time of 18:50.9.