Kyle Collins (Suffern, N.Y.) and Laura Morrison (Wetherfield, Conn.) were cited by the conference off their performances Saturday at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Collins was chosen SUNYAC Male Runner of the Week. A senior, Collins finished fourth in a field of 237 men with a time of 25:33.9 for 8,000 meters. It was his fastest time of the season at the distance and his second-fastest 8K has a collegian. He led the Blue Devils to third place in a field of 24 teams at the Anderson meet. The Blue Devils entered the weekend ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region.
Morrison, a senior track athlete who is competing in his first collegiate cross country season, was clocked in a personal-best 18:40.2 for 5,000 meters. Her sixth-place finish bettered her previous-best time at the distance by nearly 33 seconds and put her at No. 3 on Fredonia's career list in the women's 5K. The Blue Devils finished second in the Anderson meet out of 20 teams. There were 205 women in the race.
It's rare when a Fredonia cross country runner wins a SUNYAC weekly award. Collins is the first male runner since Peter Francia in Sept. 2011. Morrison is the first Fredonia woman to be so honored since the conference added weekly cross country awards in 2007.
"I am very proud of both Kyle and Laura. This is the first time as head coach that my program has accomplished such a feat!" Coach Wilson