PEORIA, Ill. -- Senior cross country runner Katie Nowak (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake) earned a pair of scholar-athlete of the week awards after winning the 24th annual Bradley Open as she was named both the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week and the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week announced Wednesday.

Nowak, who garnered Missouri Valley Conference runner-of the week honors earlier in the week, earned her first career meet victory and set a personal-best 5K time of 18:03 to claim the individual title at last week's 24th annual Bradley Open at Detweiller Park.  She was first in a field of 145 competitors and the first Bradley runner to win the Bradley Open since Mary Ellen Hill won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.  A mechanical engineering and bio-medical engineering major, Nowak owns a 3.97 cumulative grade point average.

Each week, a Bradley student-athlete is selected as the Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week.  The individual chosen must be at least a sophomore in class standing and boast a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, while displaying a level of athletic excellence.

The Bradley cross country teams return to action Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Missouri State Cross Country Classic at 10 a.m. in Springfield, Mo.