NEW ORLEANS— Montreat College's Heather Murphy added another accolade on Monday, this time on the national level. After being named the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week earlier today, Murphy has also been tabbed as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA Women's National Athlete of the Week.
 
This marks the third such honor of Murphy's career after she twice garnered the recognition during her 2024 freshman campaign.
 
Murphy delivered a superb performance Friday evening in Charlotte, N.C. The Portarlington, Ireland native ended as the Queen City Invite's top NAIA competitor, utilizing an average mile time of 5:33.4 throughout her 5k. That steady excellence resulted in a final mark of 17:15.79, shaving nearly three seconds off her previous school record. Murphy rode her program-best mark to a sixth-place finish out of 228 runners, and the Cavs wrapped up the meet in ninth out of 20 squads. Only five DI competitors—three from Wake Forest University and two from UNC Charlotte—ran faster than Murphy at Queens University of Charlotte's annual event.
 
To view a list of this week's USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Week, click here.
 
Murphy and the Montreat College women's cross country team are back in action on Oct. 4 at the Live in Lou Classic in Louisville, Ky.