INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC junior Photis Karkalis (Mount Prospect, Ill.) and Loyola senior Gina Valgoi (Detroit, Mich.) have been named the Horizon League Indoor Runners of the Week.
This is the first honor of the season for either runner, but Valgoi was named Horizon League Cross Country Runner of the Week once last fall and, after taking medalist honors at the Horizon League championship and competing at the NCAA National Championship, was named the Horizon League Cross Country Runner of the Year. She is the second Ramblers runner to be honored this indoor track season, joining Rebecca Sterns.
Karkalis was honored for his performance in the one-mile run at the Tadd Metzger Carthage Invitational on Friday. The junior posted a 4:19.56 time, besting a field of 40 competitors to win the event.
The Flames will return to action this weekend at the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind.
Valgoi also won her event this weekend, besting a field of 17 in the 3000m run. Her time of 9:30.05 broke her own school record by over five seconds and is the fastest in the Horizon League this season.
The Ramblers will also be competing in the Meyo Invitiational this weekend.
2012 Horizon League Cross Indoor Runners of the Week:
Nov. 26: Declan Murray, Loyola; Rebecca Stearns, Loyola
Dec. 5: Charles Anthony, Detroit; Nicole Meisner, Detroit
Jan. 15: Wally Bradford, Valparaiso; Nikia Duncan, Detroit
Jan. 22: Chris Strup, Loyola; Jessica Richardson, Valparaiso
Jan. 29: Photis Karkalis, UIC; Gina Valgoi, Loyola
