WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Alice Najimy (Pittsfield, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the week of September 17-23, it was announced today by the league.
Najimy is the first Shark to earn the honor since Sarah Bohan was tabbed for the week of October 3-9, 2016.
The first year runner broke the 20-minute barrier to finish 15th overall at the 38th Annual Women's Codfish Bowl at historic Franklin Park in the Dorchester part of Boston, Mass. The Lenox Memorial High School product crossed the finish line with a time of 19:57, which was the ninth-fastest time among collegiate runners and the fourth-best mark for a Division III competitor.
For the season, Najimy has turned in a pair of top-15 finishes in both races that she's competed in. The rookie began the season by placing sixth in the six-kilometer Worcester City Meet at Moore State Park in Paxton, Mass. with a time of 25:33 on September 8.
Simmons returns to action on Saturday, October 6 at 11:00 a.m. when it competes in the Running Monks Invitational at the SJC Cross Country Trail in Standish, Maine.