IRVINE, Calif. – Chaminade University women's cross country runner
Zoe McDonough (Fremont, Calif./Washington) was named Tuesday as the Pacific West Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week.
McDonough captured the individual title from last Saturday's Chaminade Invitational at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park, becoming the first Silversword women's runner to capture medalist honors in a 5-kilometer or further event in 31 years. The last occurrence came on Oct. 24, 1991 when Missy Mowat won the 5-k Hawai'i Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship. She is also the first Silversword to capture medalist honors since Emily Ochsner won the 2012 4-k Chaminade Invitational.
McDonough completed the 5-k course in 20 minutes, 13.8 seconds, recording the fastest 5-k time by a 'Sword at CORP, beating Shannon Whener's previous record of 20:21.21.
Her performance came just two weeks after she was the first Division II runner to cross the finish line at the Big Wave Invitational which also had the University of Hawai'i and University of the Pacific, both Division I programs.
McDonough is the first Chaminade runner to earn weekly conference honors since Alena Albertson earned freshman of the week kudos in Sept. 2019.
The Silverswords cross country teams will be on the Big Island for the Hawai'i Hilo Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 1.
