CHARLOTTE, NC – For the third straight week, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Cross Country Runners of the Week have also earned NJCAA Division 1 Cross Country Runner of the Week accolades with Butler’s Elizabeth Hernandez and Emmanuel Otim each taking home this week’s national honors.

Hernandez becomes the fourth different conference runner to also win NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week, joining Faith Jepchirchir (Hutchinson), N Vanee Anchike (Cloud County), and Meryeme Mai (Garden City) while Otim is the third conference runner on the men’s side to earn NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week (Sibonelo Khumalo – Colby, Kabelo Maja – Fort Hays Tech NW). In total, the KJCCC has won seven of eight possible NJCAA Division 1 Cross Country Runner of the Week Awards given out this season.

Elizabeth Hernandez – Butler (NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week)
Hernandez finished eighth out of 182 runners at the Missouri Southern Stampede, coming in as the third highest NJCAA finisher and top KJCCC finisher. Hernandez's time was the best mark a Butler women's cross-country runner has ever achieved at the Missouri Southern Stampede. She helped the Grizzlies to a seventh-place team finish which was best among KJCCC schools and second best among NJCAA runners. Her time of 18:24.03 was a personal best this season.

Emmanuel Otim – Butler (NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week)
Freshman Emmanuel Otim took first at the Missouri Southern Stampede, his second individual title of the season as he helped Butler win its second men's team title of the year. Otim ran the men's 8K race in 24:33.49, placing first out of 179 runners. His win marks the third straight year a Grizzly on the men's side has won the individual title at the Missouri Southern Stampede.