Two IU cross-country runners have been recognized by the Big Ten Conference for their character outside of their on-course performances.
It was announced Wednesday that junior Kyle Mau and sophomore Lexa Barrott have been named the recipients of the 2017 Big Ten Sportsmanship Awards for their respective teams.
They follow in the footsteps of last year’s winners, now-graduated Matthew Schwartzer and this year’s Big Ten champion, junior Katherine Receveur.
The award honors athletes whose ethical behavior and good citizenship outside of sports make them stand out from their fellow athletes. Award winners must also be in good academic standing. Each athletic team has one award winner.
Both Mau and Barrott have both had productive 2017 seasons. Mau has consistently been IU’s number-two runner behind sophomore Ben Veatch. Mau just missed out on earning second team All-Big Ten at last Sunday’s Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, where he finished 17th overall with an 8K time of 24:38.8.
Meanwhile, Barrott has helped provide solid depth for the women’s team all year and has been anywhere from its number-four to number-six runner this season. She finished 52nd overall at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 21:41.9 in the 6K race.
Murphy Wheeler
