INDIANAPOLIS – Standouts from nationally-ranked programs Malone (men) and Hillsdale (women) earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Athletes of the Week honors on Tuesday.
 
The Week 3 USTFCCCA Cross Country national rankings produced more strong representation from the Great Midwest with the postseason just under a month away.
 
Walsh (No. 19) and Malone (No. 21) are ranked one again in the men’s national poll while Walsh remains a top-10 program and Hillsdale is at No. 13 in the women’s national rankings.
 
Four men’s programs are ranked in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region poll, including No. 4 Walsh, No. 5 Malone, No. 6 Cedarville and No. 8 Hillsdale.
 
Three programs from the league are in the top six of the women’s Midwest Region rankings led by No. 2 Walsh. Hillsdale is one spot behind at No. 3 and Cedarville is settled in at No. 6.
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
George McCartney
Malone
Senior
Toledo, OH (Toledo Central Catholic HS)
 
As if the Midwest wasn’t warm enough, McCartney and the Pioneers went down to the Sunshine State and the ESPN Wide World of Sports to run in the Disney Classic.
 
No. 21 Malone didn’t get distracted by the endless tourist attractions in Orlando with an impressive runner-up showing in an 8K race primarily featuring Florida schools.
 
The Pioneers were runner-up as a team only behind Division I Florida A&M and McCartney would finish in fifth place overall with a time of 25:26.70.
 
Nationally-ranked Malone and McCartney are waging their campaign to be a title contender at this year’s conference meet held in Canton at GlenOak High School.
 
There were a total of 139 runners in the field. This is McCartney’s fifth career conference weekly honor (including track and field) and his second of the current cross country season.
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Maryssa Depies
Hillsdale
Sophomore
Muskegon, MI (Reeth-Puffer HS)
 
Depies was an impact performer as a rookie while helping the Chargers to a conference title and trip to the national championships as a team. She was also named the Great Midwest Freshman of the Year at the conference meet in Nashville.
 
Her second season with the No. 13 Chargers has produced some of the same expected results making the sophomore jump while embracing a more substantial role.
 
Depies helped her squad win the Hillsdale Invitational 5K race as she clocked a time of 18:39.90.
 
Hillsdale owned the top 10 placewinners of the meet, which also included Lake Superior State and Northwood from the Midwest Region.