3 October 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT)- KU’s top cross country runner is picking up national recognition.
On Monday, KU senior Chandler Gibbens was announced as the Division I National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
The award comes after Gibbens’ performance at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational. He ran 23:08.4 for 8K. The mark, winning by two seconds, was a 31-second personal best and averaged 4:38 mile pace for approximately five miles.
“It means a lot to win this,” Gibbens said in a statement from KU Athletics. “There are a lot of great runners and performances every week, so it is definitely a big honor and it is really special to represent Kansas and my team on a national scale. It’s also a good feeling because this shows that my training is going in the right direction to set me up for a great end to the season.”
Last spring, Gibbens broke Jim Ryun’s 5K program record on the track, running 13:28.
This is the first time in Kansas cross country program history that a male or female athlete has received this honor.