2017 Cross Country Runners of the Week

  • Jamie Hiegel, Bridgewater, Jr.
    October 16, 2017
    Hiegel, a junior from Richmond, Va., picks up his second weekly honor after a strong showing at the Inter-Regional Rumble hosted by Oberlin College. Hiegel, who already owns the fastest eight-kilometer time (25:24.50) in the ODAC this season, posted the third-fastest time upon completing his race in Ohio. He placed 10th overall out of 265 finishing runners with a time of 25:40.0. That mark was 31-seconds off the pace set by event-winner Matt Svetz from Allegheny College. Hiegel's efforts helped Bridgewater to 15th over 31 teams with 404 points.
  • Marissa Coombs, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr.
    October 16, 2017
    Coombs, a senior from Newton, N.J., picks up her second weekly award of the season after placing 17th overall out of 239 finishing competitors at the Inter-Regional Border Battle hosted by Rowan University. Coombs, who already owns the ODAC's best six-kilometer time (21:55.3) of the season, stopped the watches at 22:22.9 as the third-best time in the league. Virginia Wesleyan placed 21st of 27 total competing teams.
  • Austin Tolbert, Emory & Henry, Jr.
    October 09, 2017
    Tolbert, a junior from Wytheville, Va., finished ninth overall and was the third-fastest Division III runner at the Piedmont Invitational. He posted a time of 27:56.0 on the course set about 200-meters longer than eight-kilometers. The time was a 1:45 drop from his previous best at the Piedmont Invitational, set last season. Tolbert helped Emory & Henry to fourth of 10 squads in the team standings.
  • Michaela Mast, Eastern Mennonite, Sr.
    October 09, 2017
    Mast, a senior from Broadway, Va., picks up her second weekly award after winning her second race in four attempts this season. Mast stopped the watches first overall at the CNU Invitational with a six-kilometer time of 23:46.0. She completed the course 29-second faster than the next closest competitor. The first time competitor also has a second-place showing on her performance sheet this season. Her efforts helped EMU to first in the team standings with 20 points.
  • Jamie Hiegel, Bridgewater, Jr.
    October 02, 2017
    Hiegel, a junior from Richmond, Va., came up just 1.2-seconds shy of claiming the individual title at the Don Cathcart Invitational hosted by Salisbury University. Hiegel's eight-kilomteer time of 25:24.5 trailed only David Strickland from the host Sea Gulls. His time, however, marks the top 8K performance in the ODAC this season. His efforts helped Bridgewater to third in the team standings with 99 points.
  • Marissa Coombs, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr.
    October 02, 2017
    Coombs, a senior from Newton, N.J., finished second overall and first among NCAA Division III competitors at the Don Cathcart Invitational hosted by Salisbury University. Coombs, in her first race of the season, posted the ODAC's fastest six-kilometer time this fall in 21:55.3, finishing less than a second ahead of teammate Emily Latimer (ODAC 2nd-best 21:56.1) and just short of 16-seconds behind winner Kaylyn West from Division II-member East Stroudsburg. Coombs helped Virginia Wesleyan to fifth in the team standings with 127 points.
  • Austin Kinne, Washington and Lee, So.
    September 25, 2017
    Kinne, a sophomore from Bolingbrook, Ill., was the top ODAC and Washington and Lee performer at the Hornet Harrier/Commonwealth Challenge hosted by Shenandoah University. Kinne posted a personal-best time at six kilometers, finishing the race eighth overall at 20:18.6. His efforts helped lead the 29th-ranked Generals to third place in the teams standings.
  • Aislynn Smith, Shenandoah, Jr.
    September 25, 2017
    Smith, a junior from Manquin, Va., posted the top ODAC time at the Hornet Harrier/Commonwealth Challenge hosted by Shenandoah. Smith completed the five-kilometer course in 20:47.7 to place eighth overall and seventh among Division III competitors. Her efforts helped Shenandoah to third in the team standings with 108 points.
  • Tristan Lucy-Speidel, Lynchburg, Jr.
    September 18, 2017
    Lucy-Speidel, a junior from Fort Valley, Va., led the Hornets to first place in the non-Division I team standings at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. Lucy-Speidel completed the eight-kilometer course with a time of 26:17.8 to finish 51st overall and first among Division II and III athletes. Lynchburg racked up only 35 points to top the team chart.
  • Samantha Schreiber, Lynchburg, Jr.
    September 18, 2017
    Schreiber, a junior from Gladys, Va., helped the Hornets to top prize in the non-NCAA Division I team standings at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. Schreiber finished 29th overall and tops among non-scholarship runners with a six-kilometer time of 22:55.8. Lynchburg finished seventh overall and first by one point over Washington and Lee in the Division III ranks with 28 points.
  • MacKenzye Leroy, Washington and Lee, Sr.
    September 11, 2017
    Leroy, a senior from Port Jervis, N.Y., put together a strong showing at the JMU Open Cross Country Invitational. He finished first among non-NCAA Division I runners at the event, stopping the watches on the eight-kilometer course at 26:55.0. He helped W&L to first place in the non-Division I team standings with just 16 points.
  • Michaela Mast, Eastern Mennonite, Sr.
    September 11, 2017
    Mast, a senior from Broadway, Va., finished first among non-NCAA Division I athletes and topped more than half of the Division I field at the JMU Open Cross Country Invitational. She finished the 5.2-kilometer course with a time of 20:51.0. She helped the Royals to first of five non-Division I programs with 27 points.
  • Lewis Brooks, Hampden-Sydney, Jr.
    September 05, 2017
    Brooks, a junior from Jefferson, Ga., opened the 2017 season in victorious fashion at the ODAC Preview Meet hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University at the future site of the 2017 ODAC championships. Brooks topped the field with an eight-kilometer time of 27:03.48. He won the event by 31.7-seconds over second place, registering the fifth-fastest time on record at Hampden-Sydney. His efforts helped the Tigers to second in the team standings.
  • Emily Latimer, Virginia Wesleyan, Sr.
    September 05, 2017
    Latimer, a senior from Chesapeake, Va., started off her season in winning fashion at the ODAC Preview Meet hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University at the site of the 2017 ODAC Championships. Latimer won the event with a six-kilometer time of 23:57.81, nearly four minutes faster than the second place competitor. Her efforts helped the Marlins to first in the team standings.