Otim Named USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Butler men’s cross country student-athlete Emmanuel Otim was named the NJCAA Division I National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Butler men's cross country student-athlete Emmanuel Otim was named the NJCAA Division I National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Monday.
Excerpt from USTFCCCA.org below
**It took about 5k of racing until Emmanuel Otim made his move in the NJCAA Region 6 Championships in Arkansas City, Kansas.
That move was decisive, as Otim ran the last 3k alone to win the 8k race in 23:40.5, 6.3 seconds ahead of his nearest pursuer.
It was the fourth win of the season for Otim, who earlier captured individual titles at the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic, Missouri Southern Stampede and Tiger Preview. His only loss this season came to runners from four-year programs in taking seventh in the Chile Pepper Festival's McDonnell Memorial.
This is the fourth time that a male athlete from Butler CC has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Otim joins former Grizzlies Adem Bouldjadj (twice in 2023) and Rodgers Rotich (2022) in that regard.**
The Grizzlies close out the cross country season at the NJCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships in Richmond, Virginia on Nov. 9th.