PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — Junior Lea Murphy was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week following an impressive season-opening performance at the Bearkat Invitational on September 4.

Murphy set the pace for the program on Friday, securing a third-place individual finish with a time of 19:59.2 in the 5K event. Her top-three finish anchored the squad, leading the team to a third-place overall standing in the final meet results.

The recognition marks the league's first weekly cross country award of the season. Murphy is no stranger to the conference spotlight, having previously earned SWAC XC Weekly Honor recognition in prior seasons.

Murphy and the cross country program return to action as they build toward the conference championship later this fall.