M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (Sept. 30, 2024)
NEW ORLEANS – The season is picking up steam!
Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for September 30.
- NCAA Division I Men – Parker Wolfe, North Carolina
- NCAA Division I Women – Sadie Sigfstead, Villanova
- NCAA Division II Men – Jan Thewes, Davis & Elkins
- NCAA Division II Women – Grace Southern, Academy of Art
- NCAA Division III Men – Conor Kolka, Wittenberg
- NCAA Division III Women – Jenna Allman, Calvin
- NAIA Men – Evert Silva, Oklahoma City
- NAIA Women – Jaynie Halterman, Taylor (Ind.)
- NJCAA Division I Men – Geofrey Ronoh, Iowa Western CC
- NJCAA Division I Women – Faith Jepchirchir, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
- NJCAA Division II Men – Miquel Cruz, Cowley (Kan.)
- NJCAA Division II Women – Karen Kiratu, Southeast (Neb.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Men – Owen Whelan, Harper (Ill.)
- NJCAA Division III Women – Isabella Wojciechowski, Harper (Ill.)
Find out more about each of these athletes by scrolling below.
National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications Staff at the beginning of each week to 14 collegiate cross country athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions, the NAIA and the NJCAA).
Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs. Nominated athletes are noticed before those athletes found through searching TFRRS.
The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.
NCAA DIVISION I MEN – Parker Wolfe, North Carolina
Senior | Denver, Colorado
A lot of great collegiate runners have raced at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisconsin, over the years – especially at the Nuttycombe Invitational. None have covered the fabled 8k tract faster than Parker Wolfe of North Carolina this past weekend.
Wolfe took down the 8k course record with his 23:04.0 winner on Friday. That was exactly five seconds faster than what former Stanford standout Ky Robinson ran at the 2022 edition of the meet. Wolfe also led two other runners under the former best, too (runner-up Rocky Hansen of Wake Forest and third-place finisher Liam Murphy of Villanova).
The North Carolina senior trailed then-leader Robin Kwemoi Bera of Iowa State by 6.5 seconds at the 6k split before going to work over the final 2k. Wolfe took the lead with 800 meters to go and pulled away from Hansen and Murphy with a strong uphill push to the finish line.
This is the second year in a row that Wolfe has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Wolfe previously earned national weekly honors on October 30, 2023, after winning the individual title at the ACC Championships.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Sadie Sigfstead, Villanova
Senior | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Welcome to the national conversation, Sadie Sigstead.
The Villanova standout turned on the jets over the final 2k of the Women’s 6k Championship at the Nuttycombe Invitational and captured the individual title in 19:55.7. That was 7.6 seconds faster than runner-up Florence Caron of Penn State, whom Sigfstead was tied with at 4k.
Sigfstead couldn’t have asked for a better primer – winning a loaded race on the same course that will host the upcoming NCAA DI Cross Country Championships in November.
This is the first time in program history that a female athlete from Villanova has been named the M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Jan Thewes, Davis & Elkins
Sophomore | Schmelz, Saarland, Germany
Start at the front. Finish at the front.
In the span of eight kilometers, Jan Thewes saw nothing ahead of him on his way to winning the Lock Haven Invitational in 24:10.5. The Senator put the pedal to the metal in his second race of the season, refusing to let up the lead.
Thewes stopped the clock eight seconds ahead of Noah Fisher from Findlay, who finished 12th at the 2023 NCAA Championships, and 33 seconds ahead of Talel Khalifi from Tiffin who was granted M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors last fall. All metrics point towards the sophomore being a favorite for the individual title in the Atlantic Region after a fourth place finish the year prior.
This marks the second time in program history that a male athlete from Davis & Elkins has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Thewes joins Emeric Arnaud who was awarded the honor on March 10, 2020.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Grace Southern, Academy of Art
Senior | Middletown, California
The Academy of Art is known for its track and field program. Grace Southern is making a case to add cross country to the conversation.
Crossing the line in 21:07.2, the senior hailing from Middletown, California, snatched a win for the first time in her career at the Cal State San Marcos’ Cougar Challenge. It was yet another milestone for the Urban Knight who set a program record at the same course just one year prior.
Southern was on the cusp of an NCAA Championship appearance her junior campaign, slotting in 17th at the Division II West Regional and missing out on a trip to Joplin, Missouri, by a few spots. With a win now under the belt, the odds are in her favor to make that qualifying jump come early November.
This marks the second time in program history that a female athlete from the Academy of Art has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Southern joins Natalia Novak who was awarded the honor on October 25, 2021.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Conor Kolka, Wittenberg
Senior | Dexter, Michigan
Conor Kolka stormed to victory at the Calvin Knight Invite this past weekend.
Kolka ran away with the individual title, winning by 14.3 seconds in 25:20.0. The Wittenberg senior beat several Great Lakes Region foes, including eventual runner-up Luke Witvliet of Calvin. What makes that interesting? Kolka and Witvliet finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at the Great Lakes Region Championships last year.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Wittenberg has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Jenna Allman, Calvin
Senior | Ann Arbor, Michigan
Home course advantage is a thing: Jenna Allman proved it.
Allman romped to the individual title at the Calvin Knight Invite this past weekend in 21:49.5, which was 11.2 seconds faster than runner-up Ella Baryo of Davenport. That victory was a long time coming for Allman, who finished runner-up at this meet in each of the previous two years.
This is the third year in a row that a female athlete from Calvin has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Hailey Erickson earned national weekly honors in both 2022 and 2023.
NAIA MEN – Evert Silva, Oklahoma City
Junior | Fresno, California
Evert Silva led Oklahoma City to an eye-opening victory.
Silva finished runner-up in the Men’s 8k Open this past weekend at the Gans Creek Classic behind three-time M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week Geofrey Ronoh of Iowa Western CC. He was the top NAIA finisher in the field and paced the tenth-ranked Stars to wins over seven other NAIA top-25 ranked teams, including No. 5 Cumberlands (Ky.), No. 6 Taylor (Ind.) and No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan.
This is the second time in the past three years that an athlete from Oklahoma City has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Silva joins 2022 honoree Shimales Abebe in that regard.
NAIA WOMEN – Jaynie Halterman, Taylor (Ind.)
Freshman | Thompson’s Station, Tennessee
Jaynie Halterman won going away at the Gans Creek Classic this past weekend.
Want to know how much Halterman won by? Try nearly 30 seconds in 20:56.7.
That’s impressive, but even more so when you remember that athletes from five other nationally-ranked NAIA programs were in the mix, in addition to those from various NCAA DI and NCAA DII programs.
This is the second time this season that Halterman has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Halterman previously earned national weekly honors on September 9.
NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Geofrey Ronoh, Iowa Western CC
Sophomore | Koibatek, Kenya
Geofrey Ronoh’s fourth win of the year was his closest yet.
But his winning margin of 5.3 seconds was all thanks to a finishing kick with just over 200 meters to go to claim the Gans Creek Classic’s Open 8K race in 23:25.0, his fastest time for 8K this season. He led a 1-3-6 finish for Iowa Western CC as the NJCAA DI No. 1-ranked Reivers won the team title with 38 points.
Ronoh’s previous victories were by margins of 6.9, 10.2 and 29.5 seconds at the Hawkeye Invitational, Augie Twilight and Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational, respectively.
This is the sixth time that a male athlete from Iowa Western has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Ronoh earned the honor twice earlier this year in joining Nicholas Kiprotich (2021) and Sylvester Barus (twice in 2015) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Faith Jepchirchir, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Freshman | Kenya
Faith Jepchirchir entered her spiciest race yet this season, competing in in the Harter’s Habanero 5K at the Chile Pepper Festival that included predominantly four-year programs.
Jepchirichir acquitted herself well, running her fastest effort of the year in 17:08.1 as the highest-finishing JUCO athlete in a race featuring three NJCAA DI top-10 teams. Jepchirchir of the No. 7-ranked Blue Dragons was 21st, once place and one second ahead of Yididiya Bifa of No. 3-ranked Iowa Central CC. The race also contained No. 5 Crowder (Mo.).
This is the second time that a female athlete from Hutchinson has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country as Jepchirchir earned the honor earlier this year.
NJCAA DIVISION II MEN – Miquel Cruz, Cowley (Kan.)
Sophomore | Artes, Spain
Miquel Cruz turned up the heat slowly in the Prairie Fire Pepper 8K at the Chile Pepper Festival.
After biding his time for the first mile, Cruz slowly began to break away from the pack until he was all alone by about 1.5 miles. His lead kept growing, eventually to 28.8 seconds as he was rewarded with his first-ever victory in a collegiate cross country race. His time of 25:51.0 was his fastest since taking 16th in last year’s NJCAA DII Cross Country Championships (25:43.4).
This is the third time that a male athlete from Cowley has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Cruz joins Adrian Diaz-Lopez (2021) and Amos Pkiach (2020) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Karen Kiratu, Southeast (Neb.) CC
Sophomore | Lincoln, Nebraska
Karen Kiratu had proven she was ready for a jump up in competition.
After winning the Grandview Viking Invitational by 55.5 seconds two weeks ago, her time came in the Chile Pepper Festival’s Prairie Fire Pepper 5K. Kiratu ran her fastest time yet, clocking 18:05.6 to finish fourth as the top JUCO DII athlete.
That time is also almost a minute faster than the 19:03.7 she had to finish 13th in last year’s NJCAA DII Cross Country Championships.
This is the first time that a female or male athlete from Southeast (Neb.) CC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country.
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Owen Whelan, Harper (Ill.)
Sophomore | Schaumburg, Illinois
A unique opportunity was available for Owen Whelan and his Harper teammates at the Heartland (Ill.) CC Invitational.
That’s because his defending champion Hawks were facing two other squads ranked among the top-5 in the NJCAA DIII National Coaches’ Rankings.
Whelan made easy work of the individual race, earning his first-ever collegiate cross country victory by 19.9 seconds with a time of 26:26.4 at Maxwell Park in Joliet, Illinois. His teammates added five more top-10 finishes as the Hawks were also team champions with 29 points.
This is the 11th time that a male athlete from Harper has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Whelan earned the honor twice earlier this year in joining Albert Szewczyk (2023), Jacob Melgosa (2019), Tony Espinoza (2018), Michael Sisko (2018), Sean Sanaghan (twice in 2017) and Scott Williams (twice in 2016) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Isabella Wojciechowski, Harper (Ill.)
Sophomore | Buffalo Grove, Illinois
While Isabella Wojciechowski keeps churning out PRs, this was a big one.
Her time of 19:00.9 in the Heartland (Ill.) CC Invitational was a new best by 57.3 seconds. And the only runner ahead of her was the host’s Nora Brady, who is merely the reigning NJCAA DII Cross Country runner-up.
Wojciechowski is now more than three minutes faster than her best 5K in cross country last fall. This past May she won the 10,000 meters and added a runner-up finish in the 5000 in the NJCAA DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
This is the 18th time that a female athlete from Harper has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Wojciechowski earned the honor once earlier this year in joining Lilly Alberts (four times in 2023, three times in 2022), Rachel Temple (2018), Misbah Baig (twice in 2017) and Ali Gutt (five times in 2016, once in 2015) in that regard.