NEW YORK – Providence and DePaul have earned BIG EAST Cross Country honors in the first week of the fall season. The Friars' Shannon Flockhart has been named BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week after winning the Friar Invitational. PC's Michael Morgan and DePaul's Damian Rodriguez are sharing Male Athlete of the Week honors. Each won their respective races, Morgan at the Friar Invitational and Rodriguez at the Huskie Opener.
BIG EAST Male Athletes of the Week
Michael Morgan, Providence, Sr.
Morgan won the 6K Friar Invitational men's race in a time of 18:11.48 at the Mark Coogan Course in Attleboro, Mass., which was the site of the 2022 BIG EAST Championship. Morgan led the Friars to a first-place team finish. PC scored 18 points ahead of Brown (54 points), Rhode Island (72) and New Hampshire (79). The Friars are ranked No. 4 in the Northeast Region.
Damian Rodriquez, DePaul, Gr.
Rodriquez finished first in the Huskie Opener at the North 40 Championship Cross Country Course in DeKalb, Ill. He ran the four-mile race in 19:48.94 and helped the Blue Demons finish first in the team standings in an eight-team field. DePaul finished with 23 points ahead of runner-up Western Illinois' 45 points.
BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week
Shannon Flockhart, Providence, Gr.
Flockhart captured first place in the 4K Friar Invitational women's race with a time of 14:13.39 in sunny and warm conditions at the Mark Coogan Course in Attleboro, Mass. PC, ranked No. 9 nationally, won the meet for the fifth straight year. The team finished first with 21 points followed by Brown (56), New Hampshire (69) and Rhode Island (88). Flockhart finished ninth in last year's BIG EAST Championship.
Men's Notes – Senior Marcos Gonzalez led Creighton to the men's team title at the Platte River Rumble "Gold" race. Gonzalez covered the 6K course in 18:06.51 to take third place, one spot ahead of teammate Jake Ziebarth (18:08.42)…In his first collegiate race, Marquette freshman Edgar Valles was the team's top performer at the Vic Godfrey Open. His time of 19:07.14 over 6K placed him sixth overall. The Golden Eagles finished third in a four-team field.
Women's Notes – Hannah Moore led Butler with a fifth-place finish at the Winrow Valparaiso Open in her Bulldog debut. Moore posted a time of 18:08.8 in the 5K race at Sunset Hill Farm County Park in Valparaiso. She led the Bulldogs to a top-three finish in the team standings, behind Notre Dame and Purdue, in a field of nine teams…Junior Katherine Soule of Creighton finished fifth in a 5K run at the Platte River Rumble "Gold" Meet with a time of 18:07.23. The Bluejays finished fourth in an eight-team field…Connecticut junior Loghan Hughes paced the Huskies at the Marist Season Opening Meet at the Vassar Farm Course. Hughes ran a personal best in the 5K race with a time of 18:19.8 that placed her in third place. She helped the Huskies finish second among five teams in the team standings…Sophomore Emma Coon of Marquette finished third at the Vic Godfrey Open at the Wayne E. Dannehl Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wis., with a career-best time of 14:42.12 over 4K. The Dannehl Course has hosted the BIG EAST Championship multiple times. The Golden Eagles finished second in a six-team field…DePaul graduate student Meghan Dieball was the runner-up at the Huskie Opener at the North 40 Championships Cross Country Course. She ran 5K in 18:09.46 and helped the Blue Demons win the team title in a field of eight teams.
National Polls – Two BIG EAST men's teams and two women's squads are among the top 30 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Polls. On the women's side, Providence is ranked ninth with Georgetown 16th. For the men, Butler is No. 12 and Villanova is No. 17. Georgetown and Providence are receiving votes.