NEW ORLEANS, La. (Blugolds.com) – UW-Eau Claire men's cross country member Josh Thorson (So.-Plymouth, MN/Wayzata) has been named NCAA Division III Men's National Athlete of the Week today by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Thorson became the third Blugold to claim individual champion honors at the WIAC Championships joining Dan Stack (1980 and 1981) and Jason Finch.
At the WIAC Championships Thorson covered the 8k course in 24:24.5 – winning by seven seconds. He led his UW-Eau Claire teammates to the school's first conference title since 1980. And Thorson's win comes on the heels of losing to at least one WIAC runner each time he raced conference competition this fall.
He sat with leaders for three miles before scattering the field with a 4:42 fourth 1600; overall, his last 3200 meters was covered in a stellar 9:32. Thorson (a University of Minnesota transfer) and the Blugolds knocked off defending conference champions UW-La Crosse on their home course.
Nominations are open to the public. Coaches and sports information directors are encouraged to nominate their student-athletes; as are student-athletes, their families and friends, and fans of their programs.
The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and other factors will also play a role in the decision.
-KCM-
