M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (October 27)
NEW ORLEANS – Welcome to the postseason.
Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for October 27, 2025.
- NCAA Division I Men – Andrew Kiplagat, Bethune-Cookman
- NCAA Division I Women – Alyvia Brown, Texas Southern
- NCAA Division II Men – Ian Rono, Texas A&M International
- NCAA Division II Women – Grace Strongman, Colo. School of Mines
- NCAA Division III Men – Luke Zwiesler, USMMA
- NCAA Division III Women – Eleanor Romeo, USMMA
- NAIA Men – Mehdi Hamoud, Madonna (Mich.)
- NAIA Women – Ellen-Mary Kearney, Milligan (Tenn.)
- NJCAA Division I Men – Barnabas Ndiwa, Iowa Western CC
- NJCAA Division I Women – Yididiya Bifa, New Mexico JC
- NJCAA Division II Men – Evan Suydam, Lansing (Mich.) CC
- NJCAA Division II Women – Abby Davis, Montcalm (Mich.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Men – Evan Schiefer, Terra State (Ohio) CC
- NJCAA Division III Women – Laney Vecchio, RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.)
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 – Andrew Kiplagat, Bethune-Cookman
Sophomore | Chebara, Kenya
Andrew Kiplagat said, “Enough is enough.”
The sophomore from Chebara, Kenya, left the competition in the dust at the SWAC Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. Kiplagat stayed with the pack through 3k before obliterating the field over the final 5k to claim the individual title by 57 seconds in 24:48.7. His low stick also led Bethune-Cookman to the team title over Texas Southern.
This is the second year in a row that a male athlete from Bethune-Cookman has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Kiplagat joins 2024 honoree Victor Kibet in that regard (Kibet won the SWAC individual title last year and finished third this year).
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Alyvia Brown, Texas Southern
Junior | Renton, Washington
When Alyvia Brown hit the jets between 2.8k and 4k on Monday, no one else stood a chance.
The junior from Renton, Washington, shot ahead to win the individual title at the SWAC Championships, putting 13 seconds between herself and the rest of the field. The Texas Southern standout eventually stopped the clock at 18:17.8, finishing more than four seconds ahead of runner-up Aliyah Williams of Alabama State.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Texas Southern has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Ian Rono, Texas A&M International
Freshman | Eldoret, Kenya
If Ian Rono wasn’t on your watchlist before, he should be now.
The freshman sensation from Texas A&M International remains undefeated across three races after storming to victory at the Lone Star Championships. Rono ran 23:31.49 across 8k, jogging down the finishing chute without another soul in sight. He stopped the clock 25 seconds ahead of Adrian Legaretta, a name we’ve definitely heard of. Rewind to last fall to see Legaretta pulled off a tenth place finish at the 2024 NCAA DII Championships.
Perhaps more impressive is that Rono did this entirely alone. On the contrary, West Texas A&M swept the next five spots behind him in an all-out effort. The closest Dustdevil was more than two minutes behind.
This marks the first time an athlete from Texas A&M International has been named M-F National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Grace Strongman, Colo. School of Mines
Redshirt Senior | Prairie Village, Kansas
Round of applause for Grace Strongman.
An individual win, a course record, and the center piece to Colo. School of Mines’ first ever women’s RMAC team title. What a day for the redshirt senior.
Her time of 20:06.7, at 6,000 feet of elevation mind you, shattered the previous course record by over a minute. Furthermore, it opened up a ten second gap to the rest of the field, which was stacked to say the least. Names like Tristian Spence, Allison Beasley, and Hannah Hartwell, all top-15 finishers over the last two NCAA DII Championships, failed to keep up.
But the cherry on top? Winning the team title. Year after year, the Orediggers had to settle for second. Strongman made sure that wasn’t going to be the case in 2025, helping the women’s program to its first ever RMAC title.
This marks the second time this season that Strongman has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Strongman previously earned national weekly honors on September 29.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Luke Zwiesler, USMMA
Senior | Colbert, Washington
Back-to-back champion has a nice ring to it.
Luke Zwiesler successfully defended his title at the Skyline Conference Championships, claiming his second straight individual crown in commanding fashion. A year after winning by more than a minute, the USMMA senior cruised to victory once again – this time finishing 36.3 seconds ahead of teammate Silas Glynn in 26:11.6. Three more Mariners followed close behind, sealing a perfect 15-point score and team championship over St. Joseph’s (L.I.).
This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from USMMA has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Zwiesler joins 2022 honoree Isaac Clark in that regard.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Eleanor Romeo, USMMA
Freshman | Carson City, Nevada
Eleanor Romeo showed no love to her opponents at the Skyline Conference Championships.
The freshman from Carson City, Nevada, dominated the field from start to finish, cruising to the individual title by exactly 40 seconds in 24:21.9. Romeo led teammate Lili Telvi by 2.5 seconds at 3.8k and only got stronger over the final 3.2k of the 6k race.
This is the third time in program history that a female athlete from the USMMA has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week. Romeo joins 2023 honoree Katherine Kerchner and 2022 honoree Jaquelynn Sheedy in thar regard.
NAIA MEN – Mehdi Hamoud, Madonna (Mich.)
Junior | Algeria
The race for the individual title at the Great Lakes Challenge came down to a tenth of a second.
Times don’t matter in cross country – but when a race finishes this close, they do.
Madonna (Mich.)’s Mehdi Hamoud edged Goshen (Ind.)’s Drew Hogan, 24:18.1 to 24:18.2, in a thrilling competition to stay undefeated this season. Hamoud and Hogan – a previous M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week on September 8 – were separated by no more than 0.2 seconds at any checkpoint throughout the 8k race.
With Hamoud leading the charge and teammate Mohamed Salaheddine Ensaad joining him in the top ten, the Crusaders placed sixth as a team, defeating six nationally ranked programs.
This is the first time in program history that a male athlete from Madonna (Mich.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week.
NAIA WOMEN – Ellen-Mary Kearney, Milligan (Tenn.)
Senior | Wirral, England
Ellen-Mary Kearney finally got the better of her rival – and did so convincingly.
The Milligan (Tenn.) senior captured the individual title at the NAIA Appalachian Challenge in 16:58.4, finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of Montreat (N.C.)’s Heather Murphy. Before this past weekend, Murphy had bested Kearney in all five of their previous cross country meetings, including last year’s AAC and NAIA Championships.
In the process, Kearney became just the second NAIA athlete this season to run a 5k in under 17 minutes, joining Evergreen State (Wash.)’s Alauna Carstens. In addition, the senior from Wirral, England, led the second-ranked Buffaloes to the team title over No. 3 Cumberlands (Ky.), 31-78.
This is the second time in her career that Kearney has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Kearney previously earned national weekly honors on September 26, 2022.
NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Barnabas Ndiwa, Iowa Western CC
Sophomore | Trans Nzoia West, Kenya
Barnabas Ndiwa showed extreme patience at the Region 11 Championships.
Down 15.2 seconds at the halfway point of the 8k race to defending champion – and Iowa Western CC teammate – Geofrey Ronoh, Ndiwa slowly chipped away at the lead until they were virtually even with 1,000 meters to go.
That’s when Ndiwa exploded with his fast kilometer of the race to forge his winning margin of 21.4 seconds with a winning time of 24:05.9, the fourth-fastest in history at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa – which will host its fifth NJCAA DI Championships in two weeks.
Ndiwa’s head-to-head record with Ronoh is 2-2 this season, with less than a second separating them in two of those races. Last year Ndiwa led Ronoh as the duo placed fourth and fifth at the NJCAA DI Championships.
This is the eighth time that a male athlete from Iowa Western has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Ndiwa joins Geofrey Ronoh (earlier this year plus three times last year), Nicholas Kiprotich (2021) and Sylvester Barus (twice in 2015) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Yididiya Bifa, New Mexico JC
Sophomore | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Yididiya Bifa ran her best race of the season at the Region 5 Championships, and she needed to win a titanic clash of NJCAA unbeatens with freshman Milicient Wafula of Odessa (Texas).
The site was Bifa’s home course at Harry McAdams Park in Hobbs, New Mexico, and by the end of the race both Bifa and Wafula had bettered the course record of 17:16.3 set last year by eventual NJCAA DI champion Elizabeth Ilanda of Odessa – Bifa at 17:12.0, Wafula at 17:14.5.
Bifa is the leading returner from last year’s NJCAA DI Championships after finishing third while at Iowa Central CC.
This is the eighth time that a female athlete from New Mexico JC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Bifa joins Damaris Chewon (once in 2023, twice in 2022), Flomena Asekol (twice in 2019), Esther Gitahi (2017) and Rose Jebet (2015) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II MEN – Evan Suydam, Lansing (Mich.) CC
Sophomore | Toledo, Ohio
Everything changed this year for Evan Suydam once the calendar turned to October.
That’s when Suydam challenged for – and eventually earned – the leading spot on the No. 1-ranked Lansing CC squad. His role as the Stars’ top runner was never more clear than after a 17.8-second victory – his first as a collegian – with a time of 25:20.3 for 8k at the Region 12 Championships in Goodells, Michigan.
Behind him, his talented teammates followed to give the Stars a perfect team score of 15 points. Three of those teammates have already been named M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week – Nate Carmody earlier this year with Jesse Carson and Logan Zahn doing so last year.
This is the seventh time that a male athlete from Lansing has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week for cross country. Suydam joins Carmody (earlier this year), Carson (2024), Zahn (2024) and Michael Dennis (three times in both 2023) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Abby Davis, Montcalm (Mich.) CC
Freshman | Vestaburg, Michigan
It was revenge time for Abby Davis at the Region 12 Championships.
Davis turned the tables on Muskegon (Mich.) CC’s Tatum Dykstra, who had defeated Davis two weeks earlier at the Muskegon Jayhawk Invitational.
Racing on a neutral course in Goodells, Michigan, Davis was 9.9 seconds, covering the 5k course in 18:17.0. It was Davis’ fastest time of the year as she has progressively gotten faster in each race.
This is the second time that an athlete from Montcalm has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country as Davis was also honored earlier this year.
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Evan Schiefer, Terra State (Ohio) CC
Freshman | Attica, Ohio
Evan Schiefer often stands out in a cross country race, and not just because he’s often the only runner from Terra State (Ohio) CC.
Schiefer has a habit of racing well above his NJCAA Division III classification, and he showed that again at the Region 12 Championships when he was fourth overall in 25:45.1 for 8k, the fastest of any DIII runner in any regional this weekend.
He was also competitively impressive as the only reason that Lansing – No. 1 ranked at the DII level – didn’t sweep the top-6 places.
This is the second time that an athlete from Terra State has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country as Schiefer was also honored earlier this year.
NJCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Laney Vecchio, RCSJ Gloucester (N.J.)
Freshman | Williamstown, New Jersey
Laney Vecchio had a successful – and triumphant – return to racing.
Competiting for the first time this year, Vecchio led from the start and cruised to a 24.7-second victory at the Region 19 Championships in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with runner-up honors going to returning All-American Tyliyah Diaz-Cruz of Thaddeus Stevens (Pa.).
This is the sixth time that a female athlete from RCSJ Gloucester has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Vecchio joins Courtney O’Hara (2023), Autumn Heaton (2022), Lyndsay Boyd (2018), Jordan Austin (2016) and Sarah Meighan (2015) in that regard.