INDIANAPOLIS – Many teams around the league put on their running shoes in beautiful weather over the weekend, setting the stage for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Athletes of the Week honors on Tuesday.
 
Four men’s teams and three women’s from the conference went into the opening weekend regionally ranked by the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA).
 
Three women’s teams were also ranked in the national top 25, including No. 11 Hillsdale, No. 13 Walsh and No. 24 Malone.
 
Walsh cracked the men’s USTFCCCA’s top 25 at No. 22 going into the season.
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Joseph Humes
Hillsdale
Senior
Maybee, MI (Milan HS)
 
Humes dominated the Calvin Knight Invitational in Grand Rapids, averaging under five minutes per mile in his first attempt at the 8K distance this year.
 
The senior toppled a field of over 200 runners with a time of 24:49.90 and the Chargers recorded a top-10 team finish.
 
Humes put his name into the conference’s all-time best 8K performances once again, slotting in officially at No. 13 since records were tracked starting in 2012.
 
Humes also holds the overall 8K conference record that he set last year at the Greater Louisville Classic (24:17.80).
 
The returning Hillsdale All-American finished 25th at the NCAA Championships in 2018 competing as an individual. Humes has won four conference cross country athlete of the week awards and has also been tabbed for indoor track honors in his decorated career.
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Sophia Maeda
Hillsdale
Sophomore
Mead, CO (Mead HS)
 
Maeda was one of two runners from the Great Midwest to cross the line in the top 10 at the 6K Calvin Knight Invitational, placing fourth overall in her first race.
 
Maeda finished the course in 22:03.10 and edged out 2018 conference freshman of the year Gabrielle Lawrence from Findlay.
 
The 11th-ranked Chargers also won the team competition with 24 programs competing with a combined time of 1:53.09.
 
This is her first conference career weekly honor.
 
The Chargers will be back on the course next weekend at the Tiffleberg Invitational hosted by Tiffin.