Week 6: GPAC Cross Country Runners of the Week
(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and Hauff Mid-America Sports are proud to announce the following Cross Country Runners-of-the-Week for October 16-22, 2023. Hauff Mid-America Sports is the presenting sponsor of the 2023-2024 GPAC Players-of-the-Week and Players and Coaches-of-the-Year awards program.
Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Cross Country Runners-of-the Week
Women – Jessica (Kampman) Walczak, Dordt University
Jessica (Kampman) Walczak of Dordt University is this week's GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women's Cross Country Runner-of-the-Week. Walczak, a senior from Abbotsford, British Columbia, was the top GPAC runner at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic held last weekend at Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Nebraska. Walczak crossed the finish line in sixth place among the field of 287 runners, completing the 6K course with a time of 21:28. This was her fourth top 10 finish of the season. Walczak helped lead the Defenders to a sixth-place finish among 23 teams, nine of which were ranked in the most recent coaches' poll.
Men – Craig Becker, Dordt University
Craig Becker of Dordt University is the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men's Cross Country Runner-of-the-Week. Becker, a sophomore from Atlantic, Iowa, was the top GPAC runner at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic held last weekend at Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Nebraska. Becker finished fourth overall in the field of 284 runners and ran a personal best time of 24:33, 36 seconds faster than his previous best. This was Becker's third top 10 finish of the season. Dordt, ranked sixth in the NAIA, finished third in the field of 23 teams, a field that included nine teams recognized in the latest coaches' poll.