Pilja Again Wins Big Ten Conference Weekly Award
10/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- University of Michigan junior Mark Pilja (Naperville, Ill./Naperville HS) has been named the Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Week for men's cross country. This marks the second time this year Pilja has won the honor, and he is the first Wolverine to win the award twice in one season since Jay Cantin (1996-99) accomplished that feat last season (Oct. 13).
Pilja earned the Athlete of the Week honor for his first-place title at the Murray Keatinge Invitational on Saturday (Oct. 7) in Orono, Maine. His victory helped the Wolverines (38 points) to a runner-up finish against a field that included national power Nebraska (31).
Pilja's time of 23:43 for the five-mile course was 14 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack and ranks as the top five-mile time in the Big Ten this year. Pilja also posts the top time among Big Ten harriers in the 8,000 meters with his 23:52 mark (Sundodger Invitational, Sept. 23) which earned him Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 27.
Contact: Steve Grialou (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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