KENNESAW,Ga- Just a few days removed from a second place finish in the Samford Invitational, Mackenzie Howe was named Atlantic Sun Conference Runner of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. This is the tenth time that Howe has been given the award in her career at KSU. Last season she won four straight after starting the season with five straight first place finishes.

“Winning the A-Sun Runner of the Week is always an honor for me and just makes me want to work harder,” Howe said. “It’s great to be recognized for your accomplishments and the next thing for me is to win conference. These awards to me are a stepping stone towards something greater.”

Running on the same course that will feature the NCAA South Regional meet in November, Howe finished second in the 5k with a time of 18:02. Her time helped the team to a fourth place overall victory. Head cross country Stan Sims has seen Howe blossom during her four years at Kennesaw State and knows the award is another in a long line of well deserved accolades.

“This is such a wonderful way for her to finish her final year of cross country at KSU,” Sims said. “She came here out of high school as a good runner and has turned herself into a great collegiate runner. All of the credit goes to her and her strong work ethic. Her legacy as one of the top KSU female runners has definitely been cemented.”

The Owls compete next Oct 16 at the UTC Front Runner Invitational in Chattanooga, Tenn.