Lemi Wutz earns AAC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week applause for third time

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (October 25, 2021) – Milligan University graduate student Lemi Wutz was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the third time in 2021, the league office announced on Monday.

Wutz led the No. 2 Buffs to a convincing team victory at the second annual NAIA Southern States Challenge on Saturday. Milligan recorded the top three finishers and finished 41 points ahead of second-place No. 8 Montreat.

Wutz took first in the 121-runner 5k race in 17:32, recording her fourth top-five finish of the year. Alyssa Bearzi was the runner-up in 17:45 and Avery DeWolf Burton finished third in 18:03.

The Buffs recorded a spread of just over a minute (17:32-18:33) and an average time of 18:03, over 40 seconds faster than the second-place Cavaliers.

Women's cross country looks to punch its 19-straight trip to the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in two weeks at the AAC Championships in Canton, Ga.