Grace XC Duo Sweep Weekly AwardsWINONA LAKE - Following a milestone performance for Grace’s cross country teams, two runners for Grace were named the NCCAA National Runners of the Week.
Bryan Hernandez-Rios and Mallory Hiatt were the national runners of the week for the NCCAA. The duo were the individual national champions in Saturday’s 2021 NCCAA National Championship during their respective races.
Their performances helped Grace claim both the men’s and women’s NCCAA team championships, the first team titles in program history.
Hernandez-Rios won the men’s NCCAA race with a time of 25:36. He became the second national champion, joining James Kennedy who was Grace’s first in 1999.
The Lady Lancers had not earned an NCCAA All-American since 2016 and never had an individual national title. That all changed on Saturday.
Hiatt was one of three Lady Lancers to earn All-American recognition (Kylie Sauder, Heather Plastow) with the trio finishing 1-2-3 respectively in the race.
The Lancers’ cross country season will end on Friday with the 2021 NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Wash.
