Lemi Wutz captures AAC Runner of the Week honors for second time

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (October 11, 2021) – Milligan University graduate student Lemi Wutz reeled in her second Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Runner of the Week award after turning in another strong performance at the Royals Challenge on Friday.

Wutz finished fourth in a field of 300 runners that featured four NCAA Division I programs and multiple nationally-ranked NCAA Division II teams with a 5k time of 17:13.

Despite the rainy conditions, Wutz ran under 17:30 for the third-straight race to open the 2021 season. Entering the year, only four-time national champion and 2016 NAIA cross country national runner-up Hannah Segrave had ever posted any times under 17:30. On the same course two weeks ago, Wutz matched Segrave's all-time cross country 5k record at 17:08.

As a team, the No. 2 Buffs placed three runners in the top 11 and took second overall out of 29 teams. Alyssa Bearzi took eighth in 17:37 and Avery DeWolf Burton set a personal-best time of 17:43 to finish 11th. Bearzi ranks third on the Buffs' all-time 5k leaderboard and Burton is fourth.

Milligan cross country finishes up its regular season at the second annual NAIA Southeast Classic, hosted by South Carolina Beaufort on Oct. 23.