SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Samford's Lauren D'Alessio has been honored as the women's Southern Conference Runner of the Week for her performance during the weekend of September 17-18, the league office announced today.
The sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., was the top runner for Samford at the University of Alabama Invitational. Her time of 17:33 was good enough for a sixth place individual finish. Her time on the 5K course was the fastest time in the SoCon so far this season. She led the Bulldogs to a third place finish as a team against tough competition such as Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Tulane.
Samford's next meet is set for Sept. 25, at the Brooks Memphis Twilight in Memphis, Tenn.
Other top performers included:
Dena O'Brien. A freshman at College of Charleston, ran a personal best at the Asics-Winthrop Invitational. Her time of 18:08 placed her third overall.
Brittney Caudle, a sophomore at Appalachian State, finished second in a field of over 200 at the Asics-Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C. The Middleton, Md., native led her team to a second place finish behind SEC opponent University of South Carolina.
UNCG's Ashley Schnell won the Elon Invitational individual title with a time of 18:05 and helped lead her team to the team title in her first race as a Spartan. The junior's performance ranks as the third fastest 5K time in UNCG history. Schnell is a music performance major with a 4.0 GPA.
Southern Conference Women's Runner of the Week
Week 1: Brittney Caudle, Appalachian State
Week 2: Anneli Uys, Chattanooga
Week 3: Lauren D'Alessio, Samford