Valgoi, Stein Earn Cross Country Runner of the Week Honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Loyola runners Gina Valgoi (Detroit, Mich.) and Josh Stein (Aurora, Ill.) have been named Horizon League Runners of the Week, for the week of Sept. 26-Oct. 3.

Valgoi, who earned Runner of the Week (Sept. 12) honors already this season, finished the 5K Sean Earl Lakefront race in 17:50. The junior finished the race 11th overall among 538 individual runners and paced the Ramblers to fifth place. In addition, her time was the seventh-fastest time among Div. I runners at the race.

Stein, a senior at Loyola, was the Rambler’s top finisher in the 8K race with a time of 25:39. He was 20th overall among the 539-man field. He paced Loyola to fourth place out of 48 teams. A two-time runner of the week in 2010 (Sept. 13, 27), Stein has been a First Team All-Horizon League honoree each of the last two years.

Loyola will take two weeks off before returning to action on Oct. 14 at the Bradley Classic.

Other Top Performers for the Week:

Dan Shafer, Wright State (So.) - The Painesville, Ohio native placed 34th at the All-Ohio Championships out of 310 runners in a time of 25:59.

Samantha Hamilton, Youngstown State (Jr.) - The junior ran the Notre Dame Invitational in a time of 18:33 for a 33rd place finish among 170 competitors.

Cross Country Runners of the Week:

August 29: Mara Olson (BU), Edwin Gay (Detroit)

Sept. 5: Lauren Mauel (UWGB), Colin Creagh (Detroit)

Sept. 12: Gina Valgoi (Loyola), Jake Reilly (Mikwaukee)

Sept. 19: Allison Craine (CSU), Callum Hawkins (BU)

Sept. 26: Gina Valgoi (Loyola), Josh Stein (Loyola)