FRISCO, Texas – Sophomore
Elizabeth Khatevi of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi cross country team completed her clean sweep of the Southland Conference Women's Runner of the Week Award on Tuesday afternoon, as it was announced by the league office that she earned the honor for period of September 30-October 20.
This week's award marks Khatevi's fourth in a row this season and fifth straight overall, having started her streak on October 23 of last year and continued it three times during the month of September on the 2
nd, the 16
th and the 30
th. She becomes just the second Islanders athlete in any sport over the last four years to win four or more conference honors in a single season, joining setter Belle Morgan of the volleyball team during the 2023 campaign.
Khatevi's nod came off the strength of arguably her best performance of the season to date last Friday at the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, where she finished first out of 336 competitors in the women's 6k. After clocking in sixth over the first two splits and third in the next two, the Nairobi, Kenya native made her move in the home stretch, overtaking two competitors and finishing with a time of 18:56.0 that clocked in more than nine seconds ahead of second place. She also managed to break her own school record in the 6k, which she had previously set at the same meet last year after crossing the line in 19:12.8.
This showing helped Khatevi keep her perfect sophomore campaign intact, as it was her fourth individual win in as many tries after also taking home first at Cross Country at the Seashore on August 29, the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational on September 5 and the Gans Creek Classic on September 26. Her streak of victories runs to five in a row when including last year's Southland Conference Championships, and in total, she has won six of her seven meets since joining the team prior to the 2024 season.
"I am extremely proud of Elizabeth," Islanders head coach
Bryan Jackson said. "She is a special young lady who is having a special year. I'm excited for the championship phase of this season for her and the entire team."
Khatevi and the Islanders will now culminate the season at the Southland Conference Championships, which will take place in Natchitoches, Louisiana on October 31.
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