Shank, along with freshman Ashley Siler, last week's winner, have won the award four times this year, meaning every week the Lions have competed, a Southern runner has come home with the honor.

Shank and the Lions won the GLVC-MIAA Challenge this past Saturday in Rolla where she finished the 5k course in a time of 17:42.1 to place second behind a runner from Southern Indiana. The Lions came into the meet ranked third nationally and first in the NCAA Division II South Central Region and defeated 13th ranked Southern Indiana and 17th ranked Pittsburg State. Shank helped lead a dominant Lions’ performance that saw the team place 2,3,5,6,7,8 and 17th.

The Lions are off this week before the team looks to defend its MIAA Title next week in the 2009 MIAA Cross Country Championships at Emporia State.