INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso sophomore Jessica Richardson (Columbus, Ind.) and Loyola freshman Chris Strup (Edon, Ohio) have been named the Horizon League Indoor Track Runners of the Week.
Richardson was a two-time Cross Country Runner of the Week this fall, but this is the first honor of the indoor track season for either runner. Strup becomes Loyola's second honoree, joining Nov. 26 winner Declan Murray.
Running in the Mike Lints Alumni Open, Richardson posted a 17:51.17 in the 5000m, good for third place in a field of 21 runners. The first three runners outpaced the rest of the field easily, as Richardson crossed the line more the 12 seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher.
Richardson and the Crusaders will return to action on Saturday and the IPFW Quadrangular in Fort Wayne, Ind.
At the Gladstein Invitational, Strup finished eighth in the finals of the 60m dash with a 7.03, but his 6.91 in the prelims broke a school record. Strup recaptured the title from training partner James McLachlan.
Strup also turned in a 22.13 in the 400m, finishing third out of 20 runners.
Loyola returns to action this weekend, splitting the squad between the Indiana Relays in Bloomington, Ind., and the Tad Metzger Meet/Chicago Duals in Kenosha, Wis., and Chicago. Both meets run Jan. 25-26.
2012 Horizon League Cross Indoor Runners of the Week:
Nov. 26: Declan Murray, Loyola; Rebecca Stearns, Loyola
Dec. 5: Charles Anthony, Detroit; Nicole Meisner, Detroit
Jan. 15: Wally Bradford, Valparaiso; Nikia Duncan, Detroit
Jan. 22 Chris Strup, Loyola; Jessica Richardson, Valparaiso
