OXFORD, Ohio -- Senior Shawnee State runner Beth Middleton, a four-year letterwinner for the Bears who recorded her first time under 20 minutes in a 5K race Friday at the #JennaStrong Cross Country Classic in Wilmington, Ohio, was named as the River States Conference's Runner of the Week Monday afternoon according to a release distributed by conference officials.

Middleton, who ran a personal-best time of 19:42.3 in the 5K event, dropped her time by 18 seconds in doing so en route to setting her new PB -- claiming a 20th place finish in the 194-runner field as a result. Additionally, Middleton ran faster than all six NCAA Division I runners from Northern Kentucky that took part in the event as well as a runner from the meet winner from a team standpoint, Eastern Michigan.

Overall, Middleton was one of 10 NAIA runners in the field to post a time under 20 minutes in the 5,000 meter run and was the only River States Conference competitor in the race to run under the 20-minute mark.

"Beth being rewarded River States Conference Runner of the Week is exciting," Shawnee State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Conner Flynn said. "She is hard working, consistent, and dependable as they come. She deserves all the progression and accolades that she earns."

The women's cross country program at Shawnee State will be back in action alongside the men's cross country program in the Bears' final meet of the regular season -- the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge, which is being held at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Saturday, Oct. 25.

For more information on the Shawnee State men's cross country program, follow the Bears on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shawnee_state_xctf/.