INDIANAPOLIS – Malone’s performances at the Akron-hosted Tommy Evans Invitational resulted in a sweep of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday.
The Pioneers finished second as a team in both men’s and women’s 5K races that featured heavy Division I competition.
Men’s Athlete of the Week
George McCartney
Malone
Jr. – Toledo, OH (Toledo Central Catholic)
The 2016 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Runner of the Year began the 2017 with a strong run at the Tommy Evans Invitational, setting the conference’s all-time 5K record.
His time of 15:17.10 was good enough for fourth place overall in the meet and clipped the previous conference best set by Cedarville’s Daniel Michalski by two seconds.
McCartney helped the Pioneers to a 2-1 finish in a meet that only consisted of Division I schools finishing second to Akron but beating Kent State and Youngstown State.
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Hannah Thompson
Malone
Jr. – Canton, OH (GlenOak HS)
Malone also had a strong performance from the women’s team. This was capped by Hannah Thompson’s 18:08.90 5K run as she finished second individually in the race.
That time is good enough for the sixth best in conference history with the 5K record having already been broken three times already this season by Alaina Spears (Cedarville) and the Walsh combo of Andra Lehotay and Sarah Berger.
Thompson helped the Pioneers go 4-1 in the Tommy Evans Invitational falling to Akron, but defeating four Division I opponents in Cleveland State, Kent State, Robert Morris and Youngstown State.
The junior continued a strong career after placing 14th last season at the conference meet that Malone hosted and was selected to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Second Team.