SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG’s Paul Katam has been named the Southern Conference men’s cross country runner of the week for his performance during the weekend of October 12-13, the league office announced Wednesday.

Katam, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, ran an 8K personal-best time of 23:49 at the NCAA Pre-National meet on Saturday. His time was good enough to place 24^th in a highly competitive field with multiple nationally ranked squads. He is one of only two SoCon runners to have broken 24:00 this season, and sits only behind teammate Paul Chelimo on the conference ranking list.

Katam is a pre-nursing major with a 3.48 cumulative GPA.

Western Carolina’s Jocelyn Keen has been honored as the Southern Conference Women’s Runner of the Week for her performance during the weekend of October 12-13, the league office announced.

The red-shirt sophomore from Fuquay Varina, N.C. ran an all-time person best over 5000m with a time of 17:46 at the Royal Cross Country Challenge in Charlottte, N.C. Keen earned a top-five finish and led the Catamounts to a fifth place team finish. This performance also ranks her second on the Western Carolina All-Time Bests list for a 5K.

Keen is a member of WCU’s SAAC and is an honor student studying Recreational Therapy.

Elon’s Luis Vargas was named honorable mention runner of the week for his performance during the weekend of October 12-13, the league office announced.

Vargas, a sophomore from Angier, N.C., set a new 8K school record at the Royal Cross Country Challenge held at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. His time of 24:16 was a personal best by 33 seconds, and he placed fifth overall.

Western Carolina’s Josey Weaver was also named honorable mention runner of the week for his performance during the weekend of October 12-13, the league office announced.

Weaver, a graduate student studying physical education, set an all-time personal best with his 24:16.7 8K at the Royal Cross Country Challenge meet held at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. The sixth place performance broke the 27-year-old Western Carolina 8K school record of 24:17 set by Phil Roberts in 1985 at The Citadel.