Mizzou Cross Country freshman Ginger Murnieks has been named Co-Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week, according to an announcement from the league office on Tuesday. Murnieks earned this recognition after finishing first among freshmen and fourth overall at last week’s Missouri Cross Country Opener held at LA Nickell Golf Course. She was one of eight Mizzou runners who placed within the top nine in that event.
Murnieks is the first athlete from Mizzou to receive Freshman of the Week honors in 2019. Last season, sophomores Mikayla Reed and Tori Findley were also recognized with SEC Freshman of the Week awards for their early-season performances.
At the Missouri Cross Country Opener, Murnieks finished fourth overall and third place in her category, recording a time of 14:01.26. This performance led all freshmen in the race and contributed to a strong showing by the team, which secured eight out of nine top spots in the women’s 4K race.
Before joining Mizzou, Murnieks attended Lee’s Summit West High School where she won the 2018 Missouri Cross Country Class 4 State Championship and competed at the Nike Cross National Midwest regional championships. Her achievements during her senior year earned her recognition as the 2018-19 Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
The next competition for Mizzou will be on Saturday, September 14 at Vanderbilt University for the Commodore Classic. After that meet in Nashville, they will return to Columbia for the Mizzou Cross Country Challenge, which will mark the opening event at Gans Creek Cross Country Course.
