University of Minnesota Athletics
Welch Named B1G Athlete of the Week
9/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - After a second-place finish at the 31st annual Roy Griak Invitational and one of the best Gophers performances ever at the prestigious meet, Minnesota junior Matt Welch has been named the Big Ten Athlete of the Week.
A native of Duluth, Minn., Welch paced Minnesota for the second meet in a row this season, picking up his second top-five finish of the year and fourth-career top-10 performance. The junior covered the eight-kilometer race in 25:07.7 and matched his best career-finish as the runner-up (2014 Fall Finale).
Additionally, Welch's second-place finish at the Griak Invitational ranks tied for second all-time at the meet (ran for the 31st time on Saturday) by a member of the Maroon & Gold. Only All-American and 2016 U.S. Olympian Hassan Mead has finished higher at the event for Minnesota (finishing second in 2008 and winning the Griak in 2009).
This week's Big Ten accolade marks the first career conference honor for Welch.
The Maroon & Gold return to action with the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wis., on Friday, Oct. 14 while another group will be in action on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Jim Drews Invitational in Ettrick, Wis.
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