(L-R): Ethan Pedersen, Malachi Burnett and Allie Zealand earned CUSA weekly honors on Tuesday.
Pedersen, Burnett, Zealand Race to CUSA XC Weekly Honors
10/6/2026 2:00:00 PM | Cross Country
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Three of Liberty's top performers from Friday's Paul Short Run have collected CUSA weekly honors. Ethan Pedersen (CUSA Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week) and Malachi Burnett (CUSA Men's Freshman of the Week) swept the men's awards, while Allie Zealand garnered the CUSA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week distinction.
Pedersen and Burnett each claimed their first career CUSA weekly awards, while Zealand was tabbed CUSA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the first time this season and the sixth time in her career.
A senior from Redmond, Wash., Pedersen served as Liberty's No. 1 runner for the first time in his career. He finished a team-best 14th place out of 302 finishers in the men's 8K gold race with a time of 24:19.8.
Canton, Ga., native Burnett crossed the line 47th overall, including ninth among freshmen. He broke 25 minutes for the 8K (24:57.7) for the first time and helped the Flames finish eighth of 35 men's teams.
Zealand paced the Lady Flames with a fourth-place showing out of 315 finishers in the women's 6K gold race, marking the top individual placement in program history for the Paul Short Run seeded race. The junior All-American from Forest, Va., crossed the finish line in 20:15.1.
Most importantly, Zealand's efforts contributed to the Lady Flames' first-ever Paul Short Run team championship. Liberty put five runners inside the top 50 finishers to top the 37-team wome
Liberty will wrap up the regular season next week, sending runners to a pair of meets.
The Flames will get the weekend started at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 16 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.
Liberty will also have runners in action at the Roanoke XC Invitational, scheduled for Oct. 17 at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
Pedersen and Burnett each claimed their first career CUSA weekly awards, while Zealand was tabbed CUSA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the first time this season and the sixth time in her career.
A senior from Redmond, Wash., Pedersen served as Liberty's No. 1 runner for the first time in his career. He finished a team-best 14th place out of 302 finishers in the men's 8K gold race with a time of 24:19.8.
Canton, Ga., native Burnett crossed the line 47th overall, including ninth among freshmen. He broke 25 minutes for the 8K (24:57.7) for the first time and helped the Flames finish eighth of 35 men's teams.
Zealand paced the Lady Flames with a fourth-place showing out of 315 finishers in the women's 6K gold race, marking the top individual placement in program history for the Paul Short Run seeded race. The junior All-American from Forest, Va., crossed the finish line in 20:15.1.
Most importantly, Zealand's efforts contributed to the Lady Flames' first-ever Paul Short Run team championship. Liberty put five runners inside the top 50 finishers to top the 37-team wome
Liberty will wrap up the regular season next week, sending runners to a pair of meets.
The Flames will get the weekend started at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, Oct. 16 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.
Liberty will also have runners in action at the Roanoke XC Invitational, scheduled for Oct. 17 at Green Hill Park in Salem, Va.
Players Mentioned
Friday, June 05
Wednesday, June 03
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, January 29