M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (Sept. 22, 2025)
NEW ORLEANS – Business is picking up.
Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for September 22, 2025.
- NCAA Division I Men – Jacob White, Wyoming
- NCAA Division I Women – Jaydn Keeler, North Dakota
- NCAA Division II Men – Pau Valderrama, Missouri Western
- NCAA Division II Women – Sophia Taarud, Winona State
- NCAA Division III Men – Mohammed Bati, Augsburg
- NCAA Division III Women – Jules Bleskoski, RPI
- NAIA Men – Jack Anderson, The Master’s (Calif.)
- NAIA Women – Alauna Carstens, Evergreen State (Wash.)
- NJCAA Division I Men – Titus Kiprotich, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
- NJCAA Division I Women – Mildred Rono, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
- NJCAA Division II Men – Esteban Boisseau, Cowley (Kan.)
- NJCAA Division II Women – Brookelyn Morgan, Wallace State (Ala.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Men – Nathan Ciarlette, Joliet (Ill.) JC
- NJCAA Division III Women – Sophia Mullins, Jefferson (Mo.)
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 – Jacob White, Wyoming
Senior | Littleton, Colorado
Jacob White is well acquainted with the Roy Griak Invitational.
Despite hailing from Littleton, Colorado, and going to college in Wyoming, he competed at the prestigious meet in each of his first three years as a Cowboy. He finished 36th as a freshman in 2022, 27th as a sophomore in 2023, and then eighth as a junior in 2024.
White used the familiarity to his advantage this past weekend and galloped to the individual title on the challenging course. He traversed the 8k tract in 24:56.4 and beat South Dakota State’s Cody Larson by more than 17 seconds. White helped Wyoming to a runner-up team finish, too.
This is the second time in program history that an athlete from Wyoming has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. White joins Paul Roberts, who earned national weekly honors back on September 9, 2019.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Jaydn Keeler, North Dakota
Senior | Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Jaydn Keeler’s young undefeated season withstood its toughest test yet.
The North Dakota standout held off unattached Minnesota athlete Ali Weimer for the individual title this past weekend at the Roy Griak Invitational. Keeler and Weimer were 1-2 in some order throughout the proceedings until Keeler decided enough was enough and took control between 5k and 6k. Keeler crossed the finish line in 20:57.3, more than three seconds ahead of Weimer.
Keeler started the season with a pair of victories at the Ron Pynn Classic and the MSU Moorhead Dragon Twilight Invitational before reigning in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from North Dakota has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Pau Valderrama, Missouri Western
Junior | Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues, Spain
That sweet, sweet taste of victory.
Pau Valderrama had his first run-in with it on Saturday, but it didn’t come easy. Titus Kiprotich of Hutchinson (Kan.) made sure of that.
The two athletes barreled down the finishing stretch neck and neck until the latter pulled away, stealing a win, 23:39.3 to 23:40.3. That’s now back-to-back weekends where a single second separated the top-two men in M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week contention.
When it comes to the NJCAA ranks, Kiprotich is one of the best, having finished top-10 at the 2024 DI Championships. The rest of Valderrama’s challengers came in the form of No. 9 East Central (Okla.) and No. 20 Pittsburg State. He handled both rosters like a pro.
This marks the first time an athlete from Missouri Western has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Sophia Taarud, Winona State
Graduate Student | Farmington, Minnesota
Sophia Taarud isn’t messing around.
The graduate student standout opened up a sizable gap to the rest of the field at the Roy Griak Invitational Maroon Race. Taarud stopped the clock at 22:19.4, giving her 35 seconds to catch her breath before embracing fellow Warriors, Kylie Anderson and Ella Voit, at the line. It was all smiles from there on out as No. 22 Winona State captured the team title over No. 13 Minnesota State 27-66, going 1-2-3-9-12.
Taarud proved to be unfazed by 2024 All-American Ashley Overgaauw, taking down the Maverick transfer by 65 seconds. Perhaps a budding rivalry, the two women will clash at least twice more at the NSIC Championships and Central Region Championships.
This marks the second time a female athlete from Winona State has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Taarud joins Lindsay Cunningham, who tallied the honors four times between 2021 and 2023.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Mohammed Bati, Augsburg
Senior | Dodola, Ethiopia
Two races. Two wins for Mohammed Bati.
Bati rolled to victory at the St. Olaf Invitational this past weekend as he covered the 8k course in 24:42.5, more than five seconds ahead of runner-up Kevin Turlington of St. Olaf. Other standout athletes were in the race, too, including UW-La Crosse brothers Aidan and Grant Matthai.
Just one week earlier, Bati decimated the field at the MIAC Preview. Bati won the race by nearly one minute. Bati led by 17.7 seconds at 2.5k, 42.7 seconds at 5k, and poured it on from there.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Augsburg has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Jules Bleskoski, RPI
Junior | Syracuse, New York
Nobody could catch Jules Bleskoski this past weekend at the Purple Valley Classic.
The RPI junior turned the notoriously tough Mount Greylock Regional School course into her personal playground for the second straight year, scorching the 6k layout in a PR of 20:39.3. Bleskoski dismantled the field from the start, opening a 35-second lead by 3k, stretching it to 53 seconds with a mile to go, and ultimately crossing the finish line 1 minute, 21 seconds ahead.
This is the second year in a row that Bleskoski has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NAIA MEN – Jack Anderson, The Master’s (Calif.)
Senior | Athens, Alabama
Make that back-to-back M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week awards for The Master’s (Calif.). Not bad for a podium contender in 2025, huh?
This time it was Jack Anderson in the spotlight. The Mustang senior claimed the individual crown at The Master’s University Invitational, clocking 24:11.7 over the 7k course to edge teammate and former NAOTW Brogan Collins by three seconds. Anderson’s effort also powered The Master’s (Calif.) to the team title against several notable programs.
This is the second year in a row that Anderson has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NAIA WOMEN – Alauna Carstens, Evergreen State (Wash.)
Senior | Shelton, Washington
Alauna Carstens is poised to break through in 2025.
The Evergreen State (Wash.) senior dominated the Pacific Lutheran Invitational this past weekend, covering the 6k course in 21:19.9 – more than 30 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger.
Carstens hinted at this kind of potential during the indoor season, when she notched PRs in the mile (4:57.58), 3000 meters (9:40.70), and the 5000 meters (17:15.83). Now, she’ll aim to continue to build on that momentum and improve upon her 15th-place finish at the NAIA Cross Country Championships the last time she competed in the meet back in 2023.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Evergreen State (Wash.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Titus Kiprotich, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Sophomore | Iten, Kenya
Three weeks was plenty enough time for Titus Kiprotich to regain team honors for No. 4-ranked Hutchinson (Kan.) CC, and he did so emphatically with a runner-up finish at Missouri Southern Stampede.
Kiprotich clocked 23:40.3 over the 8k course, losing by just 1.0 seconds to Pau Valderrama of NCAA DII Missouri Western, whose performance also earned M-F National Athlete of the Week honors.
Kiprotich was the Blue Dragons’ top runner last year as Hutchinson finished third at the NJCAA DI Cross Country Championships, but he opened this season No. 2 on his own team as runner-up to Cornelius Kogo at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic in late August. Kogo was seventh in this race as Hutchinson won the team title over a pair of NCAA DII Top-20 teams along with fellow NJCAA DI foe Crowder (Mo.), rated No. 5.
This is the fifth time that a male athlete from Hutchinson has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Kiprotich joins Teagan Flanagan (2020) and Andrew Kibet (three times in 2018) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Mildred Rono, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
Freshman | Iten, Kenya
Keeping up with Mildred Rono is not easy – no one has in either of her two races as a collegian.
The closest came in Saturday’s Missouri Southern Stampede, where Rono won in 16:49.3 for 5k to best Paige Mullen of NCAA DII No. 10 Pittsburg State by 21.4 seconds.
She was also impressive in her only other race this year, a 47.1-second victory over Mercy Jepkoech of NCAA DI Wichita State at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic in late August.
This is the third time that a female athlete from Hutchinson has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Rono joins Faith Jepchirchir (twice in 2024) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II MEN – Esteban Boisseau, Cowley (Kan.)
Sophomore | Barraux, France
Esteban Boisseau had his most impressive race of the season at the Missouri Southern Stampede.
Boisseau was the top NJCAA DII finisher in taking 14th in 24:15.7 in a field that included two NJCAA DI top-5 teams – not to mention two NCAA DII top-20 squads. The race had two other M-F National Athletes of the Week in Pau Valderrama (NCAA DII) and Titus Kiprotich (NJCAA DI).
It was the second contest in a row where he was the top NJCAA DII runner following a 10th-place finish two weeks earlier at the JK Gold Classic, where he was 10th in 19:11.9 over 6k. Runner-up in that race was Adrian Diaz-Lopez of host Wichita State, who won the 2021 NJCAA DII cross country title while at Cowley.
This is the fourth time that a male athlete from Cowley has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Boisseau joins Miquel Cruz (2024), Diaz-Lopez (2021) and Amos Pkiach (2020) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Brookelyn Morgan, Wallace State (Ala.) CC
Freshman | Tupelo, Mississippi
Brookelyn Morgan has made a big impact as a freshman for Wallace State, ranked No. 3 in NJCAA DII.
The freshman has been the top NJCAA DII athlete in all three of her races for the Lions, most recently at the Firehawk Invitational in Moulton, Alabama, where she clocked 22:52.5 for 11th place overall over the 6k course at Oakville Indian Mounds Park.
Prior to that she had a pair of races over 5k – 18:55.6 for 10th at the North Alabama Invitational and 18:47.7 for 29th at the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic.
This is the first time that an athlete from Wallace State has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Nathan Ciarlette, Joliet (Ill.) JC
Sophomore | Joliet, Illinois
Nathan Ciarlette provided an important low team stick as individual runner-up at the Olivet Nazarene Midwest Classic, a meet that included an early-season showdown between his No. 2 Joliet (Ill.) JC squad and No. 1 Harper (Ill.).
Ciarlette was the top NJCAA finisher – overall runner-up in 26:23.5 over 8k – in leading his Wolves to a two-point finish ahead of the top-ranked Hawks, 166-168, as the top NJCAA teams in the field. Harper could take solace in winning hypothetical head-to-head scoring 25-32.
Those two programs – along with defending national champion College of DuPage (Ill.) – will tussle again at the Region 4 Championships and NJCAA DIII Championships.
This is the fifth time that a male athlete from Joliet has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Ciarlette was honored earlier this year in joining Hunter Phillips (twice in 2021) and Julian Rosenbach (2020) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Sophia Mullins, Jefferson (Mo.)
Freshman | DeSoto, Missouri
Sophia Mullins was faster than she’s ever been on a cross country course.
Her 19:48.1 time over the 5k course at the Missouri Southern Stampede topped her previous best of 20:31.5 two weeks ago – which was also the previous fastest 5k this year by any woman in NJCAA DIII racing.
Mullins started the year as runner-up in the Webster Invitational, clocking 21:34.9 for 5k on a hilly tract, and followed up as the leading JUCO finisher in WashU’s Gabby Reuveni Invitational, where she clocked the 20:31.5 on the SIU Edwardsville course.
This is the second time that a female athlete from Jefferson has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season as Mullins was also honored earlier this year.