INDIANAPOLIS -- UIC freshman Alex Bashqawi (Elmhurst, Ill.) is the Horizon League Men’s Runner of the Week, while senior Tess Ehrhardt (Geneva, Ill.) is the Horizon League Women’s Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 22-28. Ehrhardt collects the honor for the second-time this season. 

The UIC men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Warrenville, Ill. to compete in the College of DuPage Invitational this past weekend. The Flames swept the invite, coming in first place in the men’s and women’s team results, respectively. The men collected 32 points while running against 21 other squads including conference-foes Milwaukee and Green Bay. The women tallied 57 points in their team win versus 25 other schools.

Bashqawi competed in his third collegiate event and finished first in the field of 188 competitors. The freshman ran the 8K distance in a time of 25:17.87.

Ehrhardt took first-place for the second time in three invitationals. The senior outran 203 fellow runners in the 5K and had an impressive pace throughout the course. She crossed the finish line in a time of 17:28.55, winning the race by 40 seconds.

UIC returns to competition on Saturday, Oct. 11 for the UW-Parkside Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. The race is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Top Male Runners of the Week:
Mitchell Bilitz, Green Bay (Fr.): Ran a lifetime-best at the College of DuPage Invitational finishing the 8K in a time of 26:23.09 to place seventh overall.

Top Female Runners of the Week:
Sarah Mauel, Green Bay (Jr.): Ran a season-best at the College of DuPage Invitational, taking seventh place with a time of 18:39.11 in the 5K race.

Men’s Runners of the Week
Aug. 25: Andrew Bowman, Oakland
              Austin McLean, Youngstown State
Sept. 2: Austin McLean, Youngstown State
             Ben Kendell, Detroit
Sept. 9: Kyle Hauser, UIC
Sept. 15: Ben Kendell, Detroit
Sept. 22: Alex Bashqawi, UIC

Women’s Runners of the Week
Aug. 25: Ashley Burr, Oakland
Sept. 2: McKinsie Klim, Youngstown State
Sept. 9: Tess Ehrhardt, UIC
Sept. 15: Jessica Richardson, Valparaiso
Sept. 22: Tess Ehrhardt, UIC