Missouri State cross country runner Pasca Cheruiyot was named Missouri Valley Conference Athlete of the Week for the second time in three weeks (Sept. 23).  Cheruiyot set the Missouri State cross country school record for a 6K race on Saturday, running a time of 20:34 at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla.  The previous school record, held by Casey Owens, was 20:46.77.  Cheruiyot’s time beat the course record at the OSU Cross Country Course by 29 seconds.

Cheruiyot’s school record along with the 14th and 15th fastest times in school history, run by Jamie Vest and Terry Phillips, respectively, helped the Bears maintain the highest ranking of any Missouri Valley Conference school in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest region.  The Bears remain 8th in the ranking ahead of Wichita State, ranked 10th.  Other Missouri Valley schools ranked in the Top-15 include: Southern Illinois (13th), Northern Iowa (14th), and Illinois State (15th). 

The Bears return to action on Saturday, October 18, as they travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the Chile Pepper Festival (6K) at 10:30 a.m.

Midwest Rankings - Week 2

1. Minnesota

2. Illinois

3. Iowa

4. Oklahoma State

5. Tulsa

6. Kansas

7. Nebraska

8. Missouri State

8. Kansas State

10. Wichita State

11. Northwestern

12. Missouri

13. Southern Illinois

14. Northern Iowa

15. Illinois State