NCAA XC National Athletes of the Week (March 10)

NEW ORLEANS – The spring NCAA cross country segment is about to draw to a close.
Here are those individuals who stood out from their peers during an exciting Conference Championships Weekend (along with some other meets) and were named National Athletes of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

• NCAA Division I Men – Eduardo Herrera, Colorado
• NCAA Division I Women – Haley Herberg, Washington
• NCAA Division II Men – Emeric Arnaud, Davis & Elkins
• NCAA Division II Women – Maya Brinson, Davis & Elkins
• NCAA Division III Men – Lorien Nighingale, LeTourneau
• NCAA Division III Women – Holly Dasher, UMHB

Find out more about each of these runners by clicking their names or scrolling below.
National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications Staff at the beginning of each week to 12 collegiate cross country athletes, when applicable (male and female for each of the three NCAA divisions and three NJCAA divisions).
Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs. Nominated athletes are noticed before those athletes found through searching TFRRS.
The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN – Eduardo Herrera, Colorado

Senior | Madera, California
Eduardo Herrera made a decisive move in the final 1K of the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships in West University Place, Washington.
It proved to be the winning move, too.
Herrera gapped eventual runner-up Charles Hicks of Stanford in the middle of the final 2K loop at Chambers Bay Regional Park and captured the individual title in 22:30.9. It was the second individual title in a row for the Buffaloes, who didn’t have an individual winner in the first eight years that they joined the conference, despite nabbing team titles in six of those meets.
This is the second time in program history that a male athlete from Colorado has been named National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season. Joe Klecker took home the first national honor on November 4, 2019, after winning the previous Pac-12 crown.

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN – Haley Herberg, Washington

Junior | Mission Viejo, California
Haley Herberg led wire-to-wire at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships.
Down the long homestretch, Herberg had to fend off a hard-charging Ella Donaghu of Stanford and eventually pulled away for the individual title. Herberg covered the 6K tract at Chambers Bay Regional Park in 19:02.5, almost seven seconds ahead of Donaghu, who nearly latched onto her shoulder in the final 200 meters.
This is the first time since 2016 that a female athlete from Washington has been named National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Amy Eloise-Neale earned the honor back on October 31, 2016, following her own victory at the Pac-12 Championships.

NCAA DIVISION II MEN – Emeric Arnaud, Davis & Elkins

Sophomore | Annecy Le Vieux, France
Ermeric Arnaud came ready to race.
Arnaud, a sophomore from Annecy Le Vieux, France, earned his first collegiate victory on the grass circuit. He won the D&E Winer XC Invite in 15:00.9 over the 5K distance, finishing 5.4 seconds ahead of second. He also paced the Senators to a first place finish in the team standings with a near-perfect score of 16.
This is the first time in program history a male athlete from Davis & Elkins has been named National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN – Maya Brinson, Davis & Elkins

Freshman | Fairmont, West Virginia
Maya Brinson starred in her collegiate debut.
The freshman from Fairmon, West Virginia, took home top honors at the D&E Winter XC Invite in her first collegiate race. Brinson navigated the 5K course in 18:30.0 for a 6.3 second margin of victory. She led the Senators’ to a team win with 18 points.
This is the first time a female athlete from Davis & Elkins has been named National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.

NCAA DIVISION III MEN – Lorien Nightingale, LeTourneau

Senior | Njoro, Kenya
Lorien Nightingale won going away this past weekend.
Nightingale made quick work of the Men’s 8K race at the ASC Cross Country Championships this past week, winning the individual title in 25:49.5. It turned out to be a 34-second win for the senior, who also won by a substantial margin at both the Bill Libby Invitational (27 seconds) and the Concordia Invitational (36 seconds) earlier this season.
This is the second time this season that Nightingale has been named National Athlete of the Week. He previously earned the honor on February 3.

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN – Holly Dasher, UMHB

Sophomore | Katy, Texas
One point proved to be the difference between first and second place in the team standings in the women’s race at the ASC Cross Country Championships.
One point is exactly what Holly Dasher gave champion UMHB.
Dasher won the individual title at the conference meet this past week, covering the 6K tract in 23:34.8, nearly 23 seconds ahead of the next closest finisher. It was Dasher’s third consecutive victory this season, as she also won at the Bill Libby Invitational and the Concordia Invitational.
This is the first time in award history that an athlete from UMHB has been named National Athlete of the Week during the cross country season.