Penguins Sweep #HLXC Freshman Weekly Awards
9/29/2026 1:05:00 PM | Cross Country
Erica Kaulen and MJ Pottinger swept the Horizon League's Cross Country weekly freshman awards after their performances at the YSU Collegiate Invitational, the league announced Tuesday.
Kaulen was named the Under Armour #HLXC Women's Runner and Freshman of the Week for the second time in her collegiate career, while Pottinger was selected as the Under Armour #HLXC Men's Freshman Runner of the Week.
In Kaulen's second collegiate race, she finished third with a new collegiate-best 6K time of 22:03.34 on Sept. 26. It was the second consecutive race in which the freshman led the Penguins and was the top-finishing freshman in the field. Her third-place finish helped the women place second in the eight-team field.
The recognition marks Pottinger's first weekly honor from the league. The Pennsylvania native led the Penguins in his second collegiate race, posting a career-best fourth-place finish out of the 64-man field. He also set a new collegiate-best 8K time of 26:34.24, improving by more than two minutes from his collegiate debut time of 28:52.0, which was just two weeks ago. Pottinger's performance helped lead the men to a runner-up finish in the five-team field.
Up next, the Penguins will send 15 men and women to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the Notre Dame Joe Piane Gold and Blue Invitational on Oct. 2.
