University of Houston Athletics
Maddie Brown Named The American AOTW
9/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
PROVIDENCE – Junior cross country runner Maddie Brown has been named the American Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Week for her performance in the weekend's HBU Season Opener, the conference announced Tuesday.
"It's a really great honor to have her win this straight out of the gate," head cross country coach Steve Magness said. "For an athlete like her who came out of high school as not really a heralded prospect, it shows the work that she's put in to get to this level. It's really set the foundation for her expectations this season, which is to take a big step. It's a fantastic honor."
Competing in the squad's first race of 2015, and her first cross country race since the Pre-National meet of last season, Brown claimed the individual championship at the HBU Season Opener, on Thursday, when she crossed the finish line in 11:56 to edge out Nicole Aponte of Sam Houston State who finished in 12:00.
Brown shaved 18 seconds off her finish in the same event last season, where she finished in a season best seventh place in 12:14.
The Huffman, Texas, native also helped lead her team to victory in the overall race as well as the double-dual competition. The Cougars combined to score 23 points in the overall, defeating Sam Houston State (44 points) and the host team Houston Baptist (58 points). In the duals, Houston defeated the Huskies 17-to-41, and the Bearkats 21-to-36.
"This sets the standard, especially for the women's team who has been a work in progress over the last couple of years," Magness said. "Maddie has kind of said ‘Hey we're good, and we're going to be good, and we're going to compete at the highest level in this conference.' It sets them up to do some big things, and shift that level of expectations."
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
The women's and men's cross country teams will travel across Houston to compete in the Rice Invitational on the campus of Rice University on Friday, Sept. 11. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
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