TicketsCINCINNATI - The American Athletic Conference today announced its first weekly award winners for the 2018 cross country season with University of Cincinnati redshirt senior Andrew Schille being named the AAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week. Schille was honored for winning the Queen City Invitational Saturday, marking the third year in a row he has won the title and his first representing the Bearcats after transferring in for graduate studies.
Schille previous ran for Northern Kentucky University and earned his degree from the school in Highland Heights, Ky., this past spring before joining the Bearcats to continue his graduate work. A four-time Horizon League champion, including the 2017 cross country champion, Schille not only won the race on his former home course (Valhalla Cross Country Course), but also made history in several ways.
First, he joined former UC All-American Eric Finan as the only runners, male and female, to have won the Queen City Invitational three times in a career in the 37 years the meet has been held. Added to that, he is now the only runner to win titles representing more than one school as he was crowned the champion in each of the last two meets while representing NKU. Schille covered the grassy, technical course in 15:21.9 to post an identical time as unattached runner and former Bearcats star Colin Cotton with Schille earning the victory in a photo finish after finding himself trailing Cotton with 400 yards remaining. Schille charged hard to the finish and edged past Cotton at the last moment to win. With his win, Schille captured the 19th title for the Bearcats men in the history of the QCI while also giving the program its 29th overall win as the women have won 10 individual crowns as well.
The historical feats did not stop there. With his honor earned from the AAC today, Schille is the first Bearcats athlete - both men and women - to earn a weekly accolade from the conference since Cincinnati joined the AAC in time for the 2013 season. He also is the first to capture a weekly award for the program since 2011 when Finan was named the BIG EAST Cross Country Runner of the Week on October 18 after placing third at the highly-competitive NCAA Pre-National meet.
The Bearcats are off this week and will return to competition Saturday, September 15, when they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the John McNichols Invitational. The meet will be run on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, the same venue that will play host to this year's NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships.
Schille previous ran for Northern Kentucky University and earned his degree from the school in Highland Heights, Ky., this past spring before joining the Bearcats to continue his graduate work. A four-time Horizon League champion, including the 2017 cross country champion, Schille not only won the race on his former home course (Valhalla Cross Country Course), but also made history in several ways.
First, he joined former UC All-American Eric Finan as the only runners, male and female, to have won the Queen City Invitational three times in a career in the 37 years the meet has been held. Added to that, he is now the only runner to win titles representing more than one school as he was crowned the champion in each of the last two meets while representing NKU. Schille covered the grassy, technical course in 15:21.9 to post an identical time as unattached runner and former Bearcats star Colin Cotton with Schille earning the victory in a photo finish after finding himself trailing Cotton with 400 yards remaining. Schille charged hard to the finish and edged past Cotton at the last moment to win. With his win, Schille captured the 19th title for the Bearcats men in the history of the QCI while also giving the program its 29th overall win as the women have won 10 individual crowns as well.
The historical feats did not stop there. With his honor earned from the AAC today, Schille is the first Bearcats athlete - both men and women - to earn a weekly accolade from the conference since Cincinnati joined the AAC in time for the 2013 season. He also is the first to capture a weekly award for the program since 2011 when Finan was named the BIG EAST Cross Country Runner of the Week on October 18 after placing third at the highly-competitive NCAA Pre-National meet.
The Bearcats are off this week and will return to competition Saturday, September 15, when they travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the John McNichols Invitational. The meet will be run on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course, the same venue that will play host to this year's NCAA Great Lakes Region Championships.