SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU’s Evan Guzman and Samford’s McKenzie Hogue have been named the Southern Conference men’s and women’s cross country runners of the week, respectively, after all competition Sept. 14-20.
 
Guzman finished fifth overall and was the third collegiate finisher in the 120-man field at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Friday. The redshirt sophomore from Franklin, Tennessee, turned in a career-best time of 25:04.1, helping the Bucs to a second-place finish in the nine-team field, behind Liberty and just ahead of meet host Virginia Tech. Guzman paced a contingent of five Bucs in the top 20.
 
Samford’s Hogue finished 10th out of nearly 400 runners at the North Alabama Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday. The senior from Alabaster, Alabama, turned in the second-fastest 5K time in school history with her career-best 16:56.69 effort. Hogue helped the Bulldogs to a 10th-place team finish in the 39-team field, which included several Power 5 conference opponents, including 10th-ranked Alabama, which won the meet, and SoCon foe Chattanooga.
 
ETSU and Samford both return to action at the Live in Lou Classic in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, Oct. 1.
 
2022 Southern Conference Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Sept. 7            Foster Wilfong, Furman
Sept. 14          None
Sept. 21          Evan Guzman, ETSU
 
2022 Southern Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Sept. 7            Abigail Robertson, Furman
Sept. 14          None
Sept. 21          McKenzie Hogue, Samford