NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State's two individual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) cross country champions, sophomore Meshack Kipchirchir and senior Martha Bissah, were selected Monday as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Athletes of the Week, the organization announced.

Kipchirchir became the Spartans' first male to win the conference championship race since Josef Tessema in 2011 on Saturday. Kipchirchir posted a time of 25 minutes, 3.5 seconds, leading Norfolk State to its 13th team title in all and second in the last three years. The sophomore, who transferred in January from Hofstra, led four Spartans who placed among the top five finishers.

Bissah became the first female to ever win three straight MEAC cross country championships on Saturday. She covered the 5K course in 17 minutes, 44.4 seconds, more than 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Led by Bissah and three other All-MEAC finishers, the Spartan women won their first MEAC title since 2009 and just the second in program history.

This week marks the first time that a runner from NSU has been named USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week.