CINCINNATI - Aaron Bienenfeld, a senior member of the University of Cincinnati cross country team, has been selected as the 2019 American Athletic Conference Male Cross Country Runner of the Year, the league announced today. Bienenfeld, the winner of the 2019 AAC Championships race, was selected for the top award in a vote of the league's coaches.
Bienenfeld entered four races during the collegiate season and won all four, starting with the Rhodes College Invitational in Memphis, Tenn., which was run on the same course used later in the season for the AAC Championships. Following his victory in Memphis, he took gold in the 'white race' at the 2019 NCAA Pre-National Invitational meet in Terre Haute, Ind., easily winning the race. Next, he returned to Memphis and captured his first conference cross country title as he blistered the field, winning by 31 seconds. Finally, he took the top spot at the NCAA Great Lakes Region Championship to earn a berth into the NCAA Championships.
Although he qualified for the national collegiate competition, he declined to race in the event so he could instead pursue a spot on the German U23 team at the 2019 SPAR European Championships. In the German trials, he finished sixth overall and third among U23 runners to earn a spot on the German team that will run this week (December 8) in Portugal.
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The runner of the year accolade is not the only honor Bienenfeld has earned this season. On a league level, he was twice named the AAC Male Runner of the Week after his victories at the Rhodes and Pre-National events. He also was the AAC champion and earned AAC All-Conference honors. Added to that, the coaches in the region voted Bienenfeld as the 2019 USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region Male Runner of the Year as well.
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The Bearcats will get their 2020 indoor track & field season underway the same weekend Bienenfeld competes in Portugal as they will travel to Lexington, Ky., for the Blue & White Open hosted by Kentucky. The one day competition will be held Friday, December 6.
Bienenfeld Voted AAC Male Runner of the Year
Aaron Bienenfeld, a senior member of the University of Cincinnati cross country team, has been selected as the 2019 American Athletic Conference Male Cross Country Runner of the Year, the league announced today.
