Sept. 11, 2007

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - For his fifth-place finish out of 233 competitors last Saturday at the Fordham Invitational, Navy men's cross country runner John Olsen (Sr./Staten Island, N.Y.) has been honored as the Patriot League Runner of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon.

This marks the second time in Olsen's career that he has been tabbed the league's runner of the week, as his other weekly accolade came following a third-place performance at last year's Fordham Invitational.

Olsen completed the 8k Van Cortlandt Park course in 26:36 to record the team's fastest time for third time in his career. His effort on Saturday marked the seventh occasion in which he landed among the top-10 overall runners, three of which have taken place at the Fordham Invitational.

The product of Staten Island, N.Y., headed a group of five Navy runners among the top 20, as the Midshipmen finished third out of 22 teams last Saturday. Navy has placed among the top-three squads in each of its five Fordham Invitational races in program history.

The Midshipmen will host their lone home meet of the year, the Navy Invitational, this Saturday at the USNA Cross Country Course. The junior varsity race will start at 10:30 a.m., followed by the varsity race at 11 a.m. Fans are recommended to arrive early this Saturday, as parking will be limited along the sides of Greenbury Point Road.