University of Tennessee Athletics
Weekend Win Earns Blaase SEC Weekly Honor
October 21, 2014 | Track & Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- On the heels of her second collegiate victory achieved last weekend at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, junior Chelsea Blaase has been named the SEC's Co-Women's Runner of the Week.
The award is the second of the season for the St. Joseph, Illinois, native.
Behind a career-best, 5K time of 16:37.66, Blaase cruised to victory at the Harry Pritchett Running Course on Saturday -- the same site that will host the 2014 SEC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31. Blaase finished first amidst a field of 292 athletes -- including representatives from fellow SEC members Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, and South Carolina -- outpacing the field by almost 38 seconds in her decisive victory. She is now the two-time defending champion of the Crimson Classic, having successfully defended her 2013 title in which she posted a 17:21.19.
The win snaps a streak of three consecutive runner-up finishes for Blaase over the first three races of the fall, including the second-place finish at the Bluegrass Invitational that earned her her first SEC Runner of the Week accolade on Sept. 16. She has now finished inside the top 10 of each of her last seven competitions dating back to last season.
Blaase will share this week's award with Dominique Scott of Arkansas. A junior from South Africa, Scott finished eighth at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational to help the fifth-ranked Razorbacks place second in the team standings.
Kentucky's Katy Kunc was named the Women's Freshman Runner of the Week.
On the men's side, Stanley Kebenei of Arkansas and Ty McCormack of Auburn shared Co-Runner of the Week honors while the Razorbacks' Alex George snared the Freshman Runner of the Week award.
Blaase will look to continue her outstanding season when the Tennessee men's and women's cross country teams return to action in two week's time at SEC Championships in Tuscaloosa.
