YSU's McLean and Klim, Detroit's Kendell Collect Runner of the Week Honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Youngstown State junior Austin McLean (West Jefferson, Ohio) and Detroit freshman Ben Kendell (Huntington Woods, Mich.) are the Horizon League Men’s Co-Runners of the Week, while Youngstown State sophomore McKinsie Klim (Poland, Ohio) is the Horizon League Women’s Runner of the Week for the week of Sept 2-7. McLean collects the honor for the second-consecutive week.

The Youngstown State men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Tommy Evans Invitational this past Thursday. The Invitational is scored by multiple team duals with the men defeating Kent State while both the men’s and women’s squads beat Marshall. Five teams total competed in the race with Akron and Malone rounding out the field.

McLean paced the Penguins for the second-straight week to take seventh-place overall in the 6440 meter race. The junior completed the course in a time of 20:39 while competing against 51 fellow runners.

Klim picked up her first-career race win at the Invitational against a field of 51 runners. The sophomore led the Penguins for the second week in-a-row and crossed the finish line with a time of 18:35. Klim’s first-place finish was six seconds ahead of the next competitor in the 5K course.

The Detroit men’s cross country squad competed in the 28th Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invite on Saturday. In a field of 11 other teams, the Titan’s finished fourth overall with 90 points.

Kendell placed in the top-10 for the second-straight week to lead the pack for Detroit. He finished in sixth-place overall while competing against a field of 117 runners. In the four mile run, the freshman completed the course in a time of 20:39. Kendell’s finish was the fastest time ever by a Titan rookie and the No. 3 time in school history at the Cass Benton Park.

Detroit takes a short break from competition before traveling to Notre Dame for the National Catholic Championships on Sept. 19. Youngstown State is also off temporarily until the team competes at the Iona’ Brian Doyle Meet of Champions on Sept. 20.

Top Male Runners of the Week:
David Rutkowski, Valparaiso (Sr.): At the Crusader open, was the top finisher for Valparaiso against Notre Dame and Western Michigan. Completed the 4K race in a time of 11:45.6 to place 20th overall.

Top Female Runners of the Week:
Zeinab Baydoun, Detroit (Sr.): Finished in the top-10 for the second-straight week for the Titans to place seventh overall at the 28th Annual Running Fit-Detroit Titan Invite. Her time of 18:49 beat her personal-record (PR) by 27 seconds and was the seventh fastest time ever by a Titan at Cass Benton Park.
Tori Holt, Cleveland State (Sr.): Finished 13th at the Titan Invitational with a time of 19:07 to mark her personal-best 5K finish. The senior ranks seventh all-time at Cleveland State and is just one of two Vikings to break 19:10 since the 2005 season.
Jessica Richardson, Valparaiso (Sr.): Was the top finisher for Valparaiso at the Crusader Open against Notre Dame, Western Michigan and IUPUI. Placed second in the field of 39 runners and crossed the finish line of the 4K race in a time of 13:05.09.

Men’s Runners of the Week
Aug. 25: Andrew Bowman, Oakland
              Austin McLean, Youngstown State
Sept. 2: Austin McLean, Youngstown State
             Ben Kendell, Detroit

Women’s Runners of the Week
Aug. 25: Ashley Burr, Oakland
Sept. 2: McKinsie Klim, Youngstown State