Massey, Ng'etich honored as SSAC XC Runners of the Week

By Matt Green

ATLANTA -- Shorter harriers Sarah Massey and Eliud Ng'etich have been named the respective Female and Male Runner's of the week by the Southern States Athletic Conference, the league announced Monday.

Massey, a senior, and Ng'etich, a junior, helped Shorter to strong finishes at the Berry College Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10 and earn their first Runner of the Week honors of the 2011 season.

Massey led the Lady Hawks, who are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll, to a second place team finish at the Berry Invitational, crossing the tape in third place overall with a time of 19:02. Her third place finish came among a field of 126 competitors.

Ng'etich guided the 4th-ranked Hawks to the Berry Invitational team title by placing second overall in a time of 25:20. Ng'etich earned one point as the event's highest attached finisher -- Shorter track star Oscar Ogwaro won the event running unattached -- as Shorter finished 2-3-4-5 to finish with 40 points, 30 points ahead of runner-up Emory University. Ng'etich is Shorter's highest returning finisher from last year's 10th place national finish.

Both the Hawks and Lady Hawks return to the course on Oct. 1 when they travel to Louisville, Ky., for the Louisville Classic.