SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota’s Merga Gemeda and Oral Roberts’ Avery Mazzei have secured this week’s Summit League Cross Country Peak Performer of the Week honors. Gemeda picked up the award on the men’s side, while Mazzei claimed the women’s accolade, league officials announced Tuesday.
 
Gemeda clocked a personal best 8K time of 24:19.4 to finish 17^th at the Coaching Tree Invitational. The competition field included three nationally-ranked teams as well as eight regionally-ranked teams. His personal-best time is four seconds faster than his best mark from last season and currently leads the league.
 
Mazzei earned the second consecutive top 20-finish of her collegiate career, placing 19^th at the Missouri Southern Stampede. She crossed the line of the 5K race in 17:46.11, shaving nearly 90 seconds off her time from ORU's season-opening meet (19:12.84).
 
Merga Gemeda, South Dakota
Sr | Sioux City, Iowa

• Collected his eighth career weekly award and first this season
• Clocked a personal-best 8K time of 24:19.4 to finish 17^th
• Shaved four seconds off his best race time from last season

Also nominated: Joan Rocha-Navarro (Kansas City), Erik Flores Burciaga (Oral Roberts), Logan Lommel (Western Illinois)
 
Avery Mazzei, Oral Roberts
Fr | Tulsa, Okla.

• Collected her first career weekly honor
• Finished 19^th in a personal-best time of 17:46.11
• Shaved nearly 90 seconds off her time from ORU's season-opening meet

Also nominated: Abby Ripperda (South Dakota), Katherine Hanners (Kansas City), Paulina Wuestefeld (Western Illinois)
 
2022 Cross Country Peak Performers of the Week
Sept. 6
M: Ben Olson, South Dakota State
W: Allie Wahlund, North Dakota State
 
Sept. 13
M: Hunter Klimek, North Dakota State
W: Kaleesa Houston, North Dakota State
 
Sept. 20
M: Merga Gemeda, South Dakota
W: Avery Mazzei, Oral Roberts