INDIANAPOLIS - Cedarville junior Carsyn Koch was honored as one of the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) National Athletes of the Week on Tuesday. 

This is the third USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Week honor in her accomplished career. 

Koch excelled on the West Coast at the Bryan Clay Invite at Azusa Pacific University and also competed at the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, Calif.
 
She automatically qualified for the NCAA DII National Championships in both the 800 and 1,500-meter events. The super-accomplished junior will head to Bradenton, Fla., in defense of her 800-meter national title.
 
On a smaller scale, Koch shattered conference records in both events. But she clocked the second-best time ever in NCAA DII competition in the 1,500-meter run at 4:12.19.
 
The top 1,500-meter women’s time was recorded in 2010 by Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler at the Mt. SAC Relays.
 
Her 800-meter time of 2:06.36 registered currently ranks second nationally in NCAA DII for the current outdoor season. The 1,500-meter time ranks No. 1 across NCAA DII by more than seven seconds.
 
Koch, a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in 2016, was in an elite heat of runners in the 800-meter race along with Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers, several athletes sponsored by NIKE and various runners sponsored by different clubs.