FARMINGTON, Utah (Sept. 19, 2023) – With a pair of individual victories on both the men’s and women’s side, that ultimately helped result in team victories as well, the Montana State Bobcats have swept the Big Sky’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week titles the league office announced today.
Men’s Athlete of the Week – Matthew Richtman, Montana State
Matthew Richtman won his second straight race on Friday, placing first at the Montana Invitational in Missoula, resulting in him being named Men’s XC Athlete of the Week.
The Elburn, Illinois, native crossed the finish line in 24:04.07 for the 8K on the same course that will host the Big Sky Championships in October.
Richtman's first place finish highlighted a dominant team performance for the Bobcats, as they went 1-5 to claim a perfect team score of 15. Richtman, a 2022 All-American, suffered a fall on the first loop but recovered and still won the individual title on Friday.
Others Nominated: Amir Ahmed (PSU), Maxwell Scott (UM), Noah Hasselblad (EWU), Sam Fulbright (UI)
Women’s Athlete of the Week – Kyla Christopher-Moody, Montana State
Kyla Christopher-Moody won her second straight race in placing first at the Montana Invitational in Missoula on Friday, besting her nearest competition by 24 seconds and leading to her becoming Women’s XC Athlete of the Week.
The redshirt senior crossed the line in 17:08.6, getting out to a fast start and leading for the entirety of the race, setting the tone for MSU's women to take first overall at the meet and best Montana, Weber State, and Eastern Washington, collecting 29 points to Weber State's 61.
Others Nominated: Jamie Zamrin (PSU), Jade Hallgrimson (UM), Nattie Ruzauskas (EWU), Bailey Winter (WSU), Leah Holmgren (UI)
Previous Winners
September 5, 2023
Drew Bosley, Northern Arizona
Ruby Smee, Northern Arizona
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