McClay Earns Big South Cross Country Runner of the Week Honor
October 16, 2013 | Cross Country
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) - Gardner-Webb's Mike McClay has been named the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week, the League announced today.
McClay, a senior from Lawrenceville, Ga., posted a personal-best time of 25:11 on the 8K course at the Royal Cross Country Challenge over the weekend. His time was good for fourth-place overall.
The honor adds to what has been an illustrious career as a cross country runner at Gardner-Webb. The fourth-year Runnin' Bulldog won the first of two collegiate races as a sophomore at the UNC Preview, running 14:55 at the 5K course. As a junior, McClay won the Charlotte Duals 5K race.
To date, McClay has finished as GWU's top men's runner in every meet of his career. McClay's contributions to the Gardner-Webb Cross Country program extend off the course, having been named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. Additionally, McClay has twice earned a spot on the Big South's All-Academic Team for men's cross country.
McClay and the Runnin' Bulldogs will look to build on the the success of a meet this past weekend, the Queens Royal Challenge at McApline Park, that saw nine Runnin' Bulldogs record personal best performances. GWU's success carries over to the Blue Ridge Open (Boone, N.C.) with Big South Championships scheduled for November 2 in Lexington, Va.
