INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of national qualifiers and respective runners of the year were appropriately selected for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Athletes of the Week.
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Noah Fisher
Findlay
Sophomore
Defiance, OH (Ayersville HS)
It has been an exciting ride towards the end of the regular season for Fisher, who was the top Great Midwest finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional 10K race in Evansville, Ind.
The sophomore earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Championships that will be in Saint Leo, Fla., later this month.
Fisher finished eighth out of over 200 runners in a tight field with Great Midwest, GLVC and GLIAC programs, at Angel Mounds Course.
Findlay finished in the top half of the team standings in 12th as Fisher ran a time of 30:30.60 which ranks as the fourth fastest in conference history only behind a trio of Division II All-Americans, Benjamin Tuttle and Matt Brooker of Cedarville, and Hillsdale’s Joseph Humes.
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Alexa Leppelmeier
Walsh
Senior
Wauseon, OH (Pettisville HS)
The recent Great Midwest Runner of the Year continues to power through the postseason with a tremendous effort at the Midwest Regional. Leppelmeier and her teammates were then rewarded with a trip to nationals with an at-large selection by the national committee.
Leppelmeier was the runner-up out 216 entered participants in Evansville, Ind., as she posted a time of 20:42.50.
The senior standout officially broke the previous conference 6K record that was held by Malone’s Mackenna Curtis-Collins, who also earned an at-large bid to nationals along with Findlay’s Gabrielle Lawrence.
Walsh was sixth as a team at regionals as Leppelmeier set a grueling pace at the top while averaging 5:33.20 per mile.