USTFCCCA Awards
By USTFCCCA Communications, USTFCCCA December 5, 2023   

M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (Dec. 5)

NEW ORLEANS – Cross country, we hardly knew you.

Here are our first M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for the 2023-2024 collegiate indoor track & field seasons.

  • NCAA Division I Men – Graham Blanks, Harvard
  • NCAA Division I Women – Parker Valby, Florida
  • NCAA Division II Men – Romain Legendre, Adams State
  • NCAA Division II Women – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan
  • NCAA Division III Men – Bennett Booth-Genthe, Pomona-Pitzer
  • NCAA Division III Women – Fiona Smith, Saint Benedict
  • NAIA Men – Chevaughn Fletcher, Point Park (Pa.)
  • NAIA Women – Soyinne Grenyion, Indiana Tech
  • NJCAA Men – Traunard Folson, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC
  • NJCAA Women – Oarabile Tshosa, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC

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 – Graham Blanks, Harvard

Junior | Distance
Athens, Georgia

Graham Blanks proved his fitness on the grass circuit.

Now, Blanks did so on the oval.

Blanks, two weeks removed from winning an individual title at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, shattered the collegiate indoor record in the Men’s 5000 Meters with his 13:03.72 clocking at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston.

Lawi Lalang held the previous CR of 13:08.28 since 2012, but it was on borrowed time inside the BU Track & Tennis Center. Fans in attendance expected fast marks and Blanks, along with a slew of other top collegians from the cross country season, delivered.

Blanks went through 1000 meters in 2:37 and followed that up with ensuing splits of 2:40 and 2:39. Once the pacer stepped off, Blanks went to work and eventually closed the final 1000 meters in 2:29 (4:07 for the last 1600 meters).

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Harvard has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Parker Valby, Florida

Junior | Distance
Tampa, Florida

Parker Valby.

14:56.11.

Let’s combine those into one sentence: Parker Valby crushed the collegiate indoor record in the Women’s 5000 Meters with her otherworldly 14:56.11 on Saturday afternoon at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Read that again: 14:56.11.

The Florida star took more than 16 seconds off the previous CR of 15:12.22, held by Emily Sisson since 2015. Valby also dipped under the absolute all-time collegiate best of 15:01.70 clocked by 2009 The Bowerman winner Jenny Simpson (nee Barringer) in her award-winning year. (We’d be remiss not to mention that Valby is also now the seventh fastest American woman in history under a roof.)

After going through 1000 meters in 3:00.34 and 2000 meters in 6:01.18, Valby had clear sights on the eight-year-old standard. Valby turned 3000 meters in 9:02.86, 4000 meters in 12:03.29 and closed the final 1000 meters in 2:52.83.

It has been a remarkable few months for Valby, who entered the meet fresh off an individual title at the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships that capped an undefeated season.

This is the third year in a row that a female athlete from Florida has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Romain Legendre, Adams State

Junior | Distance
Carpentras, France

There’s an assumption that cross country fitness carries over into the beginning of the indoor track and field season. Romain Legendre made a pretty good argument for it this weekend. 

The Adam’s State product made his name known at the Sharon Colyear-Danville meet in Boston, running a 13:24.09 5k to set a new NCAA Division II national record. The previous mark of 13:28.46 was held by Dillon Powell of Colorado School of Mines and was recorded just 10 months prior. The two rivals will have plenty of opportunities ahead to continue dueling for the record. Come February 9th, both programs will travel back to Boston for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational. 

Legendre wasn’t the only one who had a historic weekend however. Graham Blanks of Harvard, Parker Valby of Florida, and Fiona Smith of Saint Benedict also rewrote the 5k history books for their respective divisions. This race acted as a bounce back for Legendre after the Grizzly finished outside of All-American honors at the NCAA DII Cross Country National Championships a few weeks ago. 

This is the fifth time in program history that an male athlete from Adams State has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the Indoor Track and Field season. Legendre joins Awet Beraki, Papay Glaywulu, Oliver Aitchison, and two-time winner Sidney Gidabuday. 

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Brynn King, Roberts Wesleyan

Fifth Year | Jumps
The Woodlands, Texas

It’s safe to say that Brynn King was eagerly waiting for the indoor track and field season to start.

In just her first week of competition, the Red Hawk took flight up and over the pole vault pit by an outstanding height of 4.41 meters; a new NCAA Division II national record. The previous mark was set by Katelin Rains of Minnesota State on Feb. 21, 2009 with a vault of 4.40 meters. 

At neatly half a meter beyond her closest opponent, Hannah Miller of the Colorado School of Mines, King completed the majority of her jumps alone. 

Watching from the sideline was her new coach, Jenn Suhr, an Olympic Gold Medalist, 17x US Champ, and most importantly, a former NCAA Division II national record holder herself. King transferred from Duke University to be trained by Suhr in her last year of eligibility. The move paid off instantly. 

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Roberts Wesleyan has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor track and field season.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Bennett Booth-Genthe, Pomona-Pitzer

Senior | Mid-Distance
Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Traveling 3000 miles to run three-thousandths of that distance isn’t insane.

Bennett Booth-Genthe made sure his trip to Boston was worth it on Saturday.

Booth-Genthe clocked a near sub-4 minute mile at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener to become the fourth-fastest performer in NCAA DIII history. He stopped the clock at 4:00.33 to park himself right behind three sub-4 minute milers in Ryan Wilson (3:55.29), Aidan Ryan (3:56.88) and Jeremy Hernandez (3:59.01) on the all-time chart.

Just last year, Booth-Genthe proved himself over the mile distance. He set a PR of 4:01.90 on that same track in February and later finished runner-up at the NCAA DIII Championships.

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Pomona-Pitzer has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Fiona Smith, Saint Benedict

Junior | Distance
Dhahra, Saudi Arabia

Records aren’t safe with Fiona Smith on the prowl.

Not course records in cross country. Nor distance bests on the track.

Smith, fresh off a resounding individual title at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last month, went 15:50.48 over 5000 meters at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener in Boston to shatter the division record. Not only did Smith lower the record-legal standard by 15 seconds and shave eight seconds off the all-conditions indoor best, but she also turned in the fourth-fastest performance in division history, regardless of venue (indoors or outdoors).

This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Saint Benedict has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NAIA MEN – Chevaughn Fletcher, Point Park (Pa.)

Sophomore | Throws
St. Catherine, Jamaica

Chevaughn Fletcher made big history with his first two efforts in the weight throw at the Youngstown State Icebreaker.

Fletcher opened up with a heave of 17.61m (57-9½), bettering his own school record by over two meters. He tacked on another two-plus meters with his second-round 19.65m (64-5¾), a mark that would have placed third in last year’s NAIA Indoor Championships.

This is the first time that a male athlete from Point Park has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season.

NAIA WOMEN – Soyinne Grenyion, Indiana Tech

Senior | Sprints
Hyattsville, Maryland

Soyinne Grenyion was a two-event winner with impressive times at Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold Invitational.

She won the 400 meters by just under two seconds in 54.50, then doubled back to take the 200 by 0.36 seconds in 23.80.

Grenyion scored in multiple events at the last three NAIA Indoor Championships and NAIA Outdoor Championships, including three times on Warrior winning relay teams.

This is the second time that a female athlete from Indiana Tech has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Grenyion joins Juanita Webster-Freeman (2022-23) in that regard.

NJCAA MEN – Traunard Folson, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC

Sophomore | Sprints
Jacksonville, Florida

Traunard Folson was a force at the Washburn Alumni Invitational.

Folson took the early national lead with wins and meet records in two events. In the 60 meters he blazed 6.63 to win by 0.25 seconds to rate No. =16 on the all-time NJCAA list. He followed that with a 21.25 clocking in the 200 to win by 0.29 seconds.

This is the ninth time that a male athlete from Indian Hills has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Folson joins Rivaldo Marshall (three times in 2022-23), Kendrick Winfield (2021-22), Kenny Bednarek (three times in 2018-19) and Nathan Winters (2016-17) in that regard.

NJCAA WOMEN – Oarabile Tshosa, Indian Hills (Iowa) CC

Sophomore | Sprints
Good Hope, Botswana

Oarabile Tshosa is off to a great start in her new home.

Tshosa is a double national leader after a pair of swift performances at the Washburn Alumni Invitational. She captured the 60 meters in a meet-record 7.41, good for No. 25 on the all-time NJCAA list – the followed with a 24.26 as runner-up and leading collegian in the 200

Tshosa scored in three events for Barton (Kan.) CC in last May’s NJCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, taking third in the 100, fourth in the 200 and running second leg on the winning 4×100 team.

This is the sixth time that a female athlete from Indian Hills has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the indoor season. Tshosa joins Jahzara Hart (2022-23), Haleigh Hadley (2022-23), Kayla McCray (2021-22), Kahliyah Anderson (2021-22) and Tyaraa English-Paulson (2017-18) in that regard.