Kansas State University Athletics
Thomas Wins Big 12 Runner of the Week
Sep 10, 2019 | Cross Country
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State cross country runner Jack Thomas became just the fourth Wildcat true freshman to earn Big 12 Runner of the Week honors on Tuesday (September 10) after leading the squad at the J.K. Gold Classic over the weekend.
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A native of Scott City, Kansas, Thomas was the Wildcats' top finisher at the J.K. Gold Classic on Saturday (September 7), as he finished in sixth place with a time of 18:51.6 in the 6k race to help pace the team to a second-place finish. It was the program's best time at the meet since Fernando Roman won the 6k race with a first-place time of 18:37.0 on September 1, 2012.
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Thomas is the first Wildcat freshman to win the Big 12's weekly award since Roman won it more than seven years ago on September 4, 2012 following that first-place finish at the J.K. Gold Classic.
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"Jack had a very nice opening race," head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I thought the race was paced well from the start, maybe a little quick the first mile, but at any rate, he had a really strong finish. We would like to see that type of finish continue this season."
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Thomas becomes the seventh K-State male cross country runner to earn Big 12 Runner of the Week honor and the first since Joe Gorthy earned the award on September 11, 2018. He is the fourth Wildcat to be selected for the honor under Godfrey, following Laura Galvan (September 23, 2014), Morgan Wedekind (September 6 and 27, 2016) and Gorthy.
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The cross country teams will return to action on Saturday, September 21 when the Wildcats head to the Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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A native of Scott City, Kansas, Thomas was the Wildcats' top finisher at the J.K. Gold Classic on Saturday (September 7), as he finished in sixth place with a time of 18:51.6 in the 6k race to help pace the team to a second-place finish. It was the program's best time at the meet since Fernando Roman won the 6k race with a first-place time of 18:37.0 on September 1, 2012.
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Thomas is the first Wildcat freshman to win the Big 12's weekly award since Roman won it more than seven years ago on September 4, 2012 following that first-place finish at the J.K. Gold Classic.
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"Jack had a very nice opening race," head coach Ryun Godfrey. "I thought the race was paced well from the start, maybe a little quick the first mile, but at any rate, he had a really strong finish. We would like to see that type of finish continue this season."
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Thomas becomes the seventh K-State male cross country runner to earn Big 12 Runner of the Week honor and the first since Joe Gorthy earned the award on September 11, 2018. He is the fourth Wildcat to be selected for the honor under Godfrey, following Laura Galvan (September 23, 2014), Morgan Wedekind (September 6 and 27, 2016) and Gorthy.
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The cross country teams will return to action on Saturday, September 21 when the Wildcats head to the Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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