Mizzou’s Schweizer Named USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Runner of the Year
11/14/2017 5:51:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
Schweizer has repeated as SEC and NCAA Midwest Champion in the last month
COLUMBIA, MO. – Mizzou Cross Country senior Karissa Schweizer (Urbandale, Iowa) was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest Regional Women's Runner of the Year, announced by the coaches association on Tuesday. Schweizer was given the honor for the second consecutive season, and comes just days after the senior standout repeated as the NCAA Midwest Regional Champion.
In her phenomenal senior campaign, Schweizer has captured back-to-back titles at the SEC Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regional over the last month. She captured her second consecutive conference title on Oct. 27, in Athens, Ga., as she finished with a 6K time of 19:36.3, an incredible 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Then, just this past Friday (Nov. 10), Schweizer repeated as NCAA Midwest Regional champion, finishing with a 6k time of 19:50.0, 20 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
In addition to taking home the SEC title, Schweizer posted another banner year on the cross country circuit, piggy-backing off of a breakout junior campaign during which she claimed three national championships. This year, Schweizer was named SEC Runner of the Week twice and garnered USTFCCA National Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 18 after setting a course record at the Commodore Classic at Vanderbilt. She also finished as the runner up at the Pre-National meet and earned meet wins at the Cowboy Jamboree, Commodore Classic and the SEC Championships.
On the year, Schweizer posted a season-best 5K time of 16:25.4 at the Commodore Classic and reset her 6K personal best at the Pre-National Meet with a time of 19:29.7, nearly 12 seconds ahead of her PR heading into the season.
Schweizer will run at the NCAA Cross Country Championships Nov. 18, in Louisville, Ky., as the Tiger senior seeks her second straight NCAA Cross Country title and her fourth NCAA overall.
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