Cross Country Athletes of the Week (Sep. 21)

9.21.21

INDIANAPOLIS – Nationally and regionally ranked Walsh claimed Great Midwest Athletic Conference Athletes of the Week honors following their performances at the All-Ohio Championships.
 
The Cavaliers featured both top men’s and women’s finishers in the championship events. Cedarville hosted the weekend 8K and 6K races, which drew a huge crowd at the Elvin R. King Course.
 
Cedarville will also serve as host for the Great Midwest Cross Country Championship races later in October.
 
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Drew Roberts
Walsh
Sophomore
Ashland, OH (Mapleton HS)
 
Roberts helped Walsh to a second-place team finish in a heavy field with Division I programs from Ohio. The Cavaliers ­beat Dayton, Ohio, Kent State, among others, while Roberts was the top Division II finisher.
 
Roberts clocked a 25:15.90 in the 8K race and finished in the top 10 of 243 participants. The sophomore averaged 5:04.90 per mile and Walsh clocked a total team time of 2:08.39.
 
Roberts had previously finished as the individual runner-up at the Tommy Evans Invitational in the season-opening meet back on Sep. 4.
 
The Walsh men moved up two spots to No. 20 in the USTFCCCA national poll holding position at No. 4 in the Midwest Region rankings. Malone is also slotted in the Midwest Region rankings at No. 10.
 
Women’s Athlete of the Week
Alexa Leppelmeier
Walsh
5th Year Senior
Wauseon, OH (Pettisville HS)
 
Leppelmeier secured her second athlete of the week honor of the fall season with a third-place individual finish at the All-Ohio Championships.
 
She ran 22:00.20 and averaged 5:54.10 per mile with Walsh finishing sixth as a team and runner-up among D2/NAIA programs. The Cavaliers combined for a team time of 1:56.36.
 
Walsh is ranked 11th nationally as a program in the USTFCCCA national poll while Hillsdale and Cedarville are ranked back-to-back at No. 15 and 16. Both the Chargers and Yellow Jackets received a small bump from the preseason USTFCCCA Poll.
 
All three of those Great Midwest teams are ranked in the Midwest Region poll at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.