KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Eastern Oregon senior Justin Ash has been recognized as the NAIA Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week, as announced by the NAIA on Wednesday. Ash earned the honor based on his outstanding performance at the Linfield George Oja Invitational, where he was the top NAIA finisher.

Competing against a strong field of 100 runners, Ash secured a 10th-place finish in the 8k race with a time of 23:38.8. His efforts helped lead the Mountaineers to a third-place team finish. This recognition marks a significant achievement for Ash, who has been a consistent leader for Eastern Oregon throughout the season.

Runners of the Week are selected from a pool of nominees across conferences, the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents), and unaffiliated groups. Ash now becomes the second Mountaineer to be named an NAIA Player of the Week, with Kiauna Mack earning NAIA Women's Volleyball Defender of the Week honors on Tuesday.

Ash and the Mountaineers will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their next meet, the Sasquatch Open, on October 25 in Spokane, Washington.