Illinois and Michigan Earn Big Ten Weekly Cross Country Awards
Fighting Illini’s Rebecca Craddock and Wolverines’ Isaac Harding and Ericka VanderLende are the first honorees for the 2019 season
Men’s Athlete of the Week
Isaac Harding, Michigan
Jr. – Grand Rapids, Mich. – Rockford
• Placed second (and was the top collegiate finisher) at the unscored Michigan Open on Aug. 30 in Dexter, Mich., covering the 5K course in 15:05.3
• Recorded the fastest time ever by a collegian on the Hudson Mills Metropark course
• Earns his first career Athlete of the Week award
• Last Michigan Men’s Athlete of the Week: Ben Flanagan (Sept. 20, 2017)
Co-Women’s Athlete of the Week
Rebecca Craddock, Illinois
Jr. – Brunswick, Ohio – Brunswick
• Won the season-opening 5K Illini Open on Aug. 30 at the UI Arboretum in Urbana, Ill., with a personal-best time of 16:58.1 (also good for eighth-fastest in school history)
• Led Illinois to the team title with 19 points, placing four students among the top five finishers
• Collects her first career Athlete of the Week accolade
• Last Illinois Women’s Athlete of the Week: Britten Petrey (Oct. 28, 2015)
Co-Women’s Athlete of the Week
Ericka VanderLende, Michigan
Fr. – Rockford, Mich. – Rockford
• Finished first in her collegiate debut at the unscored Michigan Open on Aug. 30 in Dexter, Mich., clocking in at 16:57.3 for the 5K race
• Became the second woman (after All-American Erin Finn) to break 17 minutes at the Michigan Open since it relocated to the Hudson Mills Metropark in 2010
• Receives her first career Athlete of the Week honor
• Last Michigan Women’s Athlete of the Week: Gina Sereno (Sept. 13, 2017)
2019 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sept. 5 Isaac Harding, Jr., MICH
2019 Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Sept. 5 Rebecca Craddock, Jr., ILL
Ericka VanderLende, Fr., MICH