NEWARK, N.J. — NJIT women's cross country freshman Sarah Van Ornum has been named the America East Conference Female Performer of the Week, the league announced Monday afternoon. 

In her collegiate debut at the Fordham Fiasco meet, the Stevensville, Md. native finished second overall with a time of 19:59.00, the best finish among all Highlanders - women or men. With an average mile of 6:25.6, Van Ornum was just one of only two runners to run a sub-20 minute race.

Van Ornum's accolade is a historic one - it is NJIT's first-ever America East weekly award for either cross country program since joining the league in July 2020; the first AE award for either cross country or track and field since the historic trio of indoor track awards earned by Jaden Johnson, Maria Owens and Maddie Stevens on January 17; and the first weekly laurel for any cross country student-athlete since former Highlander  Laila Hill-Glover was named ASUN Women's XC Freshman of the Week on October 9, 2019.

The cross country programs will return to action this Saturday, September 15 when they take part in the Manhattan College Jasper Fall XC Invitational.

NJIT AMERICA EAST WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
XC: 1 | Female Performer - 1
TF: 3 | Female Track - 1 | Female Field - 1 | Male Field - 1

2023 XC
Sept. 11 - Sarah Van Ornum, Female Performer of the Week

2022-23 TF
Jan. 17 - Jaden Johnson, Male Field Performer of the Week
Jan. 17 - Maria Owens, Female Field Performer of the Week
Jan. 17 - Maddie Stevens, Female Track Performer of the Week