SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna University junior Derick Blair was named the Landmark Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week following his performance at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Gettysburg College. This is his second Landmark weekly honor of the season. 

Blair delivered another strong performance in the men's 8K, finishing fifth overall with a time of 24:40.0. He averaged 4:57.7 per mile to finish among the top competitors in a field featuring teams from across the region. He opened the 8K with a strong first mile of 4:48.0 before reaching the three-mile mark in 14:50.6. He continued to push through the final stages of the race, crossing the 4.2-mile split in 21:13.4 before finishing in 24:40.0 to secure fifth place overall.

Blair's fifth-place finish helped pace the River Hawks, who placed 16th out of 44 teams with 449 points. He was the top Division III finisher, leading the way against a competitive field that included Shippensburg, Johns Hopkins and St. Bonaventure, which claimed the top three team finishes.

The weekly honor adds to an impressive junior campaign for Blair, who opened the season by capturing the individual title at the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen Invitational with an 8K time of 25:45.4. He followed that up with another individual victory at the DeSales Invite at 25:30.5. 

Susquehanna continues its preparations for the Landmark Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31 as the River Hawks look to build on Blair's strong performances throughout the season. Blair won the individual title at Landmarks last season.