Cross Country Duo Earn Weekly GNAC Awards

WINTHROP, Mass. – Mitchell College freshman Jonathan Hecker (Falls Church, VA) and Inonda Peterson (Houston, TX) were each named Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Week for the sports of men's and women's cross country, as announced by the conference on Monday afternoon.

Hecker was the second male finisher and second athlete overall to cross the finish line at the Mitchell Invitational on Friday, September 22nd. Competing against the University of Saint Joseph and Dean College, Hecker completed the three-mile course at Stenger Farm Park in 17:45.9, good for a pace of 5:55. He trailed only Blue Jay's junior Braedan Lamframboise, who took home the top spot overall with a time of 17.28.3. It marks the first time this season that Hecker has received Rookie of the Week honors from the conference.

Additionally, Inonda Peterson was named Rookie of the Week for women's cross country for the first time this fall after she was the second female finisher at the Mitchell Invitational, completing the three-mile course in 24:28.4, good for an 8:09 pace. The performance paced the Mariners and allowed them to place second overall as a team, trailing only the University of Saint Joseph while topping the Bulldogs.

The Mitchell men's and women's cross country teams will return to action on Saturday, September 30th, when they compete in the Founding Tree 6K / 8K hosted by Hampshire College.