NEW YORK – Two Villanova runners grabbed first-place finishes in their respective divisions of the Main Line Invitational to earn BIG EAST weekly cross country honors.  Haftu Strintzos has been named BIG EAST Male Athlete of the Week after winning the men’s race and Maggie Smith has been chosen BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week after taking the top spot in the women’s competition.

BIG EAST Male Athlete of the Week
Haftu Strintzos, Villanova, Sr.
Strintzos, the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship medalist from the spring, opened his fall season with a victory at the Main Line Invitational.  His winning time in the four-mile run was 19:02.4, the fastest time of any Villanova runner at the Haverford College course.  The senior crossed the finish line four seconds ahead of teammate and runner-up Josh Phillips.  The Wildcats took 10 of the top 15 positions in the meet.

BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week
Maggie Smith, Villanova, Jr.
Smith claimed her first career individual win at the Main Line Invitational.  Her time in the three-mile race was 16:20.0.  She placed first in a field of 76 competitors.  The junior finished second ahead of teammate and runner-up Sadie Sigfstead.  Smith helped the Wildcats win the meet.  Villanova had seven of the top nine finishers.

BIG EAST Notes
DePaul and Marquette competed in the Redbird Invite.  In the women’s race, DePaul’s Olivia Borowiak finished 13^th in the 6K run with a time of 21:13.3.  Marquette’s Kate Jochims finished 22^nd at 21:56.3, notching her second consecutive top-25 finish.  On the men’s side, DePaul’s Dominic Bruce was seventh with an 8K time of 24:42.8.  Teammate Shane Knanishu took 10^th with a time of 24:48.2. Marquette’s top finisher was freshman Dan Weizeorick, who was 34^th with a time of 25:37.3…The Creighton men and women ran in the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.  The top Bluejay in the men’s 8K race was senior John Quigley, who turned a time of 24:59.5, which was 24^th overall.  It was his third straight race pacing the team.  Senior Danielle Hotalling continued her streak of being the first Bluejay across the finish line.  For the 16^th time in as many starts, she was the first Creighton finisher, taking the 5k course in a time of 17:33.7.  Hotalling took fifth place, her sixth career top-five finish.   

National Polls – In the Sept. 21 USTFCCCA men’s poll Butler is No. 9, Villanova is No. 22 and Georgetown is receiving votes.  In the women’s poll, Georgetown is No. 16, Connecticut is No. 21, Providence is No. 26 and Villanova is receiving votes.