For the third time this season and for the second straight week, senior Stacia Beste has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week following her performance at the Illinois State Cross Country Invitational on Friday, October 12.
Stacia had a tremendous race with some excellent competition from our conference, said head coach Jeff Pigg. Sometimes, it is easy to take for granted that she is going to do well each week.
Beste won the 5K race with a time of 18:01 out of 29 runners. She was one minute, 14 seconds in front of the next finisher, Diana Ainsley, also from Illinois State.
Illinois State competed with Missouri Valley foes Northern Iowa, the conference preseason favorite, and Bradley in the womens meet. The Redbirds finished in a first place tie with Northern Iowa.
Beste was also named Valley Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the week of September 25 for her second- place finish at the Illinois Invitational in Champaign, Ill., and last week for her fourth place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational.
