Wednesday, October 21, 2009

MACON, Ga. – For her performance in the Evansville Invitational on Sunday, defending Atlantic Sun Champion Brittany Thune earned her third career Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week award, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

Thune won the Evansville Invitational on Sunday and despite the muddy terrain, she finished the 5K course nearly one minute faster than the rest of the field with a time of 17:54.60 (2nd place crossed the line in 18:47.91). The junior, from Sioux Falls, S.D., led the Bruins to a third-place finish in the meet with 69 points. Murray State came in first with 49 points and Eastern Illinois finished in second as both teams boasted three top-10 runners, in a race that featured 113 runners. Senior Aubrey Alexander (19:48.39), freshman Courtney Bishop (19:49.86), and sophomore Kimberly Muldowney (19:51.87) each finished in sequential order, with Alexander leading the pack in 12th. Junior Kara Sephel (20:25.76) finished 31st in her first race of the 2009 campaign.

The Bruins will have a chance to defend their 2008 Atlantic Sun title the next time they take to the course. The conference championships take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 in DeLand, Fla.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.