INDIANAPOLIS – For some programs, it was the final tune-up before the championship meet as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week performers were recognized on Monday afternoon.
 
Tiffin hosted the Tiffelberg Invite on Friday, featuring an 8K men’s and 6K women’s race with about half of the Great Midwest membership participating.
 
A few other schools, including Cedarville, Malone and Kentucky Wesleyan, went down to Louisville in Kentucky as the women’s race was a 5K distance.
 
The Great Midwest Cross Country Championships will be conducted on Saturday the 24th with Tiffin serving as host.
 
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Zach Fresenko
Malone
Senior
Louisville, OH (Louisville HS)

The Malone University men’s cross country team ran at the Louisville Cross Country Classic on Saturday, October 3. The Pioneers finished third out of 13 teams competing. 

Zach Fresenko was the top individual finisher for Malone and the Great Midwest. The senior placed seventh out of 119 runners, with an 8K time of 25:10.4. 

Fresenko’s time on Saturday marks the top 8K time posted so far this season throughout the Great Midwest. 

Fresenko has had an impressive career, as he is a three-time All-Conference First Team selection. He was named Great Midwest Freshman of the Year in his debut season at Malone. 

Fresenko’s performances at the Royals Challenge and the Great Midwest Championship back in 2019 both rank in the top 25 all time individual 8K finishes in conference history. 

The Pioneers will compete next at the Great Midwest Championships on October 24, hosted by Tiffin University. 
 
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Maryssa Depies
Hillsdale
Senior
Muskegon, MI (Reeths-Puffer HS)
 
An outstanding career for Depies is coming full circle in her senior season as the Chargers won the Tiffelberg Invite on Friday that was hosted by Tiffin. And now having passed a preliminary test with flying colors, she has to be considered among the favorites to emerge as the women’s runner of the year in a few weeks.
 
From a former conference freshman of the year to a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier, Depies was in dominant form as she paced the field to win the 6K event that shadows as a preview of the Great Midwest Championships later this month.
 
Depies cruised on the course layout at Seneca Hills Golf Course, looping three times to post a time that was in the company among the top 25 in league history.
 
The senior won by 30 seconds over the rest of the field with a time of 21:28.00 to finish on top of 60 other runners.
 
The Chargers had six of the top seven place winners, including Sophia Maeda in second, Gwynne Riley in fourth, Claire McNally in sixth and Liz Wamsley in seventh.
 
It was the final tune-up of the fall season for Hillsdale as the program prepares to compete and defend its team title at the Great Midwest Championships on the 24th.
 
Depies is also a two-time USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region performer. This is her second conference career weekly honor.