FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fort Hays State sophomore Gretchen Kuffel was named one of the first MIAA Cross Country Athletes of the Week for the 2022 season, announced Wednesday (Sept. 7) by the league office. It is the first weekly honor for the reigning outdoor conference champion in the 3,000m steeplechease.
Kuffel came away victorious in the first race of the year for the Tigers, winning the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic by nearly 20 seconds. The Peoria, Ariz. native traversed the three-mile course in 17:39.1, helping Fort Hays State to the team title with 21 points. Owner of a pair of school records in track and field, Kuffel shared the conference honor with Northwest Missouri State's Caroline Cunningham, who won the five-kilometer Bearcat Open in 18:15.5.
Fort Hays State will return to competition next weekend (Sept. 17) when the Tigers travel to Joplin, Mo. for the Southern Stampede.