ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Senior runner Mary Goldkamp (Florissant, Mo./McCluer North) has been named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week according an announcement by the league office Tuesday afternoon. The award is the first career Athlete of the Week honor for Goldkamp and marks the fifth time a Bradley runner has earned the honor since the start of the 2009 season.
An all-conference performer in cross country last season, Goldkamp turned in the top 5K time in the Valley this season with a career-best 17:48 at last week's Illinois Intercollegiate Championship in Normal, Ill. She finished fourth overall and third among NCAA Division I runners, while turning in the fourth fastest 5K time in school history. Goldkamp finished 13 seconds behind individual champion Audrey Huth of Northwestern and five seconds back of Northwestern's Sophie Ewald for second place.
In addition to owning the best 5K time in the Valley in 2010, Goldkamp's 4K time of 14:08.58 at the season-opening JK Gold Classic earlier this month is the second best 4K time in the MVC.
Goldkamp and the Braves return to action Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Sean Earl Loyola Invitational in Chicago.
