KANSAS — Austin Howell and Serenity Desrosier Larson, of the University of Saint Mary, were named the KCAC Cross Country Men's and Women's Runners of the Week, respectively, the conference office announced Tuesday. The two student-athletes were selected for their performances from Sept. 14-20 by a vote of conference sports information directors. All KCAC Player of the Week honors are presented by Athletic Solutions.
 
 The No. 16 ranked Spire women battled to the finish, earning 11^th overall out of the 17 division I and division II institutions. Spire Sunset Showdown winner, Serenity Desrosier Larson, placed in the top twenty after a strong outing this morning. Serenity finished with a mark of 20:44.6. Her final time in the 6K secured the USM school record at a meet in which she was competing largely against NCAA DI and II competition. 

No. 15 ranked Spire men saw senior Austin Howell claim 38^th overall out of the nearly 500 athletes with a final mark of 24:52.0. His final time in the 8K in Minnesota earns him a place on the Top 20 USM All-Time list in that event—again finding success at a hugely competitive event in what is still an early season.

Spire cross country will again be on the road next weekend to battle at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri on Friday, September 25^th with meet times slated to begin at 9:45 a.m. in Columbia.

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ABOUT THE KANSAS COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and sponsors 29 varsity sports. Founded in 1890, the KCAC is the second oldest intercollegiate athletic conference in the country. As the conference home to 14 member institutions, the KCAC emphasizes commitment, cooperation, high achievement, and working towards a common goal in the act of competition. To keep up with the latest conference news, follow the KCAC on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram using the handle @kcacsports.