M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week (Sept. 23)
NEW ORLEANS – The season is picking up steam!
Here are our M-F Athletic National Athletes of the Week for September 23.
- NCAA Division I Men – Mohamed Guled, Utah Valley
- NCAA Division I Women – Judy Kosgei, Clemson
- NCAA Division II Men – Ryan Hartman, Augustana (S.D.)
- NCAA Division II Women – Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, Colorado School of Mines
- NCAA Division III Men – Nathan Tassey, Roger Williams
- NCAA Division III Women – Faith Duncan, Wilmington (Ohio)
- NAIA Men – Jack Anderson, The Master’s (Calif.)
- NAIA Women – Hannah Fredericks, The Master’s (Calif.)
- NJCAA Division I Men – Geofrey Ronoh, Iowa Western CC
- NJCAA Division I Women – Faith Jeptoo, Crowder (Mo.)
- NJCAA Division II Men – Jackson Bland, Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
- NJCAA Division II Women – Daisy Speet, Lansing (Mich.) CC
- NJCAA Division III Men – Owen Whelan, Harper (Ill.)
- NJCAA Division III Women – Carmen Solis, College of DuPage (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 – Mohamed Guled, Utah Valley
Senior | Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates
Mohamed Guled went to work over the final 3k at the Roy Griak Invitational.
Guled sat seventh at the 3k split and surged to the lead by the 5k checkpoint. Then, Guled distanced himself from the rest of the pack to win the individual title by 5.8 seconds in 24:55.3. Guled was the third athlete from the Mountain Region to win the Men’s Gold 8k at the Roy Griak Invitational in the past four years, joining former BYU standout Conner Mantz (2021) and Habtom Samuel of New Mexico (2023).
This is the first time an athlete from Utah Valley has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Judy Kosgei, Clemson
Sophomore | Baringo, Kenya
Judy Kosgei hasn’t missed a beat.
Kosgei, who transferred to Clemson from South Carolina in the offseason, captured the individual title at the adidas XC Challenge this past weekend in Cary, North Carolina. She traversed the 6k course in 16:11.1, more than six seconds faster than runner-up and teammate Siliva Jelego and more than 13 seconds faster than third-place finisher and teammate Gladys Chepngetich, who finished 24th at the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships last year.
Not to mention, Kosgei beat several runners from host NC State with All-America honors and championship racing experience to their names, including Grace Hartman and former NCAA DIII standout Fiona Smith. Hartman was a two-time All-American on the track last year for the Wolfpack, while Smith won four NCAA titles in her final year at Saint Benedict.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Clemson has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Ryan Hartman, Augustana (S.D.)
Senior | Wausau, Wisconsin
The wait is over for Ryan Hartman.
Avenging his runner-up finish at the Roy Griak Invitational from a year prior, the senior out of Augustana (S.D.) took home top honors in 25:16.1. The Vikings’ standout laid down the hammer, gapping a talented field by eleven seconds despite a trio of individuals from Northwest Missouri tailing behind.
Hartman’s victory on the challenging 8k tract at the Les Bolstad Golf Course should have his name in the running for one of the favorites to win the NCAA individual title come November. Then again, that might have already been established previously given his two top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships in 2022 and 2023.
This marks the first time in program history that a male athlete from Augustana (S.D.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge, Colorado School of Mines
Redshirt Senior | Hutchinson, Kansas
Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge set the tone on Saturday.
Not only did the Orediggers star post a dominating victory at the Roadrunners Invitational in 20:59.0, she did it while breaking the course record to win by 28 seconds. Her performance from the front fueled a pivotal team title, helping defeat No. 9 UC-Colorado Springs, No. 19 Fort Lewis, and No. 23 Colorado Christian.
This isn’t Ramsey-Rutledge’s first time around the rodeo either. After transferring from Emporia State two years ago, she kick-started the season with a victory at the very same meet. Since that occasion, the redshirt senior managed to shave off 32 seconds.
This is the second time in her career that Ramsey-Rutledge has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Ramsey-Rutledge previously earned national weekly honors on September 19, 2022.
NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Nathan Tassey, Roger Williams
Junior | Whitman, Massachusetts
Nathan Tassey put himself into the national conversation this past weekend.
Tassey topped a talented field at the John McNichols Invitational, which served as a high profile course preview for the upcoming NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships. The Roger Williams standout traversed the 8k course in 23:57.8, nearly 16 seconds faster than runner-up Grant Matthai of UW-La Crosse. Matthai was a three-time All-American on the track for the Eagles last year. Tassey also beat two other All-Americans, notably Emerald Svienty (formerly Max Svienty), who was third overall at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships in 2023.
Those who follow NCAA DIII closely might have seen this coming out of Tassey. Back in May, Tassey finished fourth in the 5000 meters at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships.
This is the first time in program history that an athlete from Roger Williams has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Faith Duncan, Wilmington (Ohio)
Sophomore | Lebanon, Ohio
Remember the name Faith Duncan.
The Wilmington (Ohio) standout imposed her will this past weekend at the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Championships, winning by more than 24 seconds in 21:17.6. The third place finisher in the race was Ines Macadam, the NCAA DII outdoor 800-meter champion in 2024.
Duncan transferred to Wilmington (Ohio) from NCAA DI Mississippi State and made an immediate impact. After finishing seventh in the 3000 meters at the NCAA DIII Indoor Championships, Duncan completed the distance double at the OAC Outdoor Championships and then won the 5000-meter title at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships.
This is the first time in program history that a female athlete from Wilmington (Ohio) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.
NAIA MEN – Jack Anderson, The Master’s (Calif.)
Sophomore | Athens, Alabama
Jack Anderson and his teammates made a statement at the Larry Young Invitational.
Anderson won the individual title in 24:36.9, while five of his teammates also placed among the top-7 finishers to romp to the team crown with just 19 points. It was a notable win for Anderson – and the Mustangs – because the meet was hosted on the same Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri, that will host the upcoming NAIA Championships in November.
This is the second year in a row that a male athlete from The Master’s (Calif.) has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Anderson joins Brint Laubach in that regard (Laubach was honored on September 12, 2023).
NAIA WOMEN – Hannah Fredericks, The Masters (Calif.)
Senior | Santa Clarita, California
Hannah Fredericks, we meet again.
Fredericks earns consecutive M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week honors by virtue of her winning run at the Larry Young Invitational this past weekend. The Master’s (Calif.) standout traversed the 5k course in 17:36.7 and won by more than 50 seconds. Fredericks led the Mustangs to the team title as they decisively beat two other top-25 NAIA programs in No. 13 Huntington (Ind.) and No. 25 Mount Mercy (Iowa), among others.
This is the second time in award history that the same female athlete has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in consecutive weeks during the cross country season. Fredericks joins two-time 2023 honoree Ellyse Tinglestad of College of Idaho in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I MEN – Geofrey Ronoh, Iowa Western CC
Sophomore | Koibatek, Kenya
There’s no stopping Geofrey Ronoh so far.
Ronoh is now three for three this season, and his latest triumph was his most dominant race yet as we won the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational by 29.5 seconds. He covered 8k at Mahoney Park Golf Course in 23:42.0, leading his No. 1-ranked Reivers to a 1-2-3 finish in winning the Gold Division team title with 33 points.
Ronoh’s two previous wins this year came at the Hawkeye Invitational and Augie Twilight where he won by 6.9 and 10.2 seconds, respectively.
This is the fifth 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 once earlier this year in joining Nicholas Kiprotich (2021) and Sylvester Barus (twice in 2015) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Faith Jeptoo, Crowder (Mo.)
Freshman | Eldoret, Kenya
For the first time, Faith Jeptoo was the top runner for the Crowder (Mo.) cross country team.
Jeptoo was the third collegian in finishing fourth as the top JUCO athlete in the Missouri Southern Stampede, covering the 5k course in Joplin, Missouri, in 18:09.9. Two weeks ago she was just the No. 3 athlete for the No. 5-ranked Roughriders at the Southwest Baptist Bearcat Invitational.
Jeptoo is one of four freshmen leading the Roughriders this year, rating a program-high No. 5 in last week’s NJCAA DI National Coaches’ Poll.
This is the first time that a female or male athlete from Crowder has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country.
NJCAA DIVISION II MEN – Jackson Bland, Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
Sophomore | Surprise, Arizona
How much can someone improve in one year?
In Jackson Bland’s case, it’s 161 places or one minute and 6.5 seconds. That’s how much better and faster he performed in the UC Riverside Invitational, his first race this year and last year.
This year Bland was the third collegian in finishing fourth as the leading JUCO runner, covering 8k at the UCR Agricultural Operations Course in 24:44.2 (last year he was 165th in 25:50.7).
Bland led the Pumas – ranked No. 13 in the latest NJCAA DII National Coaches’ Poll – to a 10th-place finish among a field of mostly four-year schools. Paradise Valley will likely move up as they were behind only eighth-place Mesa (Ariz.) – ranked No. 3 – among NJCAA programs and ahead of reigning California CC champ Mt. SAC.
This is the second time that a male athlete from Paradise Valley has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Bland joins Gilbert Olivas (2022) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Daisy Speet, Lansing (Mich.) CC
Freshman | Coopersville, Michigan
What a home debut!
Daisy Speet gave the hometown fans plenty to cheer about, easily winning the Lansing CC Invitational. She covered the 5k at Grand Woods Park in 18:38.2 to win by 46.4 seconds.
Her display of dominance didn’t end there. The closest collegian – from a four-year program – was 55.3 seconds behind, while Olivia Ippel of Lake Michigan – the defending NJCAA DII Cross Country champion – was more than a minute back.
This is the fifth time that a female athlete from Lansing has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Speet joins Barbara DeGood (2022), Olivia Vanderwey (2022) and Haley Ellis (twice in 2021) in that regard.
NJCAA DIVISION III MEN – Owen Whelan, Harper (Ill.)
Sophomore | Schaumburg, Illinois
Owen Whelan regularly races up in competition.
This week was a little different, as Whelan and his NJCAA DIII No. 2-ranked Harper teammates trekked up to Lansing, Mich., to battle the hosts, rated No. 4 in the latest NJCAA DII National Coaches’ Poll.
As usual, Whelan had a good showing, taking third place behind only Lansing (Mich.) CC’s pair of Jesse Carson and Nate Carmody. Whelan was timed in 26:22.4 on the Grand Woods Park 8k course, just off his seasonal-best time of 26:18.0.
The Hawks finished second in the team standings as both they and the winning Stars bested several four-year schools.
This is the 10th 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 once 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 – Carmen Solis, College of DuPage (Ill.)
Sophomore | Aurora, Illinois
Carmen Solis is clearly faster than she was last year.
Solis has proven as much two times this month, most recently at Olivet Nazarene’s Midwest Classic in which she was the leading JUCO athlete in a field full of four-year programs. Solis finished 23rd in clocking 20:37.1 for 5k – almost 1:30 faster than the next JUCO runner – on the Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbannais, Illinois.
That time is 52.4 seconds faster than Solis ran in the same meet last year. A week earlier she was 1:48.3 faster over 6k than a year earlier at the Aurora Spartan Classic. All this from an athlete who was third in last year’s NJCAA DIII Cross Country Championships.
This is the second time that a female athlete from DuPage has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Solis joins Lillian Buzani (2022) in that regard.