HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University cross country student-athletes Kelly Hayes and Vinny Todaro have been named the Big South Runners of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday.
It marks the first time Todaro has earned the honor, while Hayes garners her second Big South weekly accolade of the season.
Hayes won the USC Upstate Invitational Saturday while setting a new collegiate-best 5k time. The Pearl River, N.Y., native crossed the finish line in 18:18.52 to win the race by more than 15 seconds and lead HPU to a second-place finish. Hayes has won two individual titles in her first four races of 2015, as the sophomore also claimed the season-opening Elon Invitational crown on Sept. 4. She has led the Panthers in all four races this season.
Todaro won the first individual cross country title of his collegiate career Saturday, leading the HPU men’s squad to a victory over 13 teams at the USC Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, S.C. Todaro crossed the rain-soaked finish line in 25:28.97 to claim victory in the event. It marks his second top-5 finish in three starts this season. HPU has won two of its first three meets of the 2015 campaign.