NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Carroll University freshman Allena O'Connell has been named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week after an impressive collegiate debut at the Gil Dodds Invitational.

Competing in her first race as a Pioneer, the Reedsville, Wisconsin native turned heads with a standout performance in a talented field of 179 runners. O'Connell crossed the finish line in 22:57.9 in the 6K race, placing 17th overall and leading Carroll to a 10th-place finish in a 15-team field.

O'Connell's race was highlighted by a fearless start, as she paced the field through the opening mile and found herself leading the race early against competitors from across the Midwest. Despite the challenging pace and depth of the competition, she maintained a strong effort throughout the race to secure a top-20 finish and establish herself among the meet's top runners.

Her time of 22:57.9 currently stands as the fastest 6K mark in the CCIW this season, sitting four seconds ahead of the next-best conference performance. The mark immediately places O'Connell among the conference's elite runners and underscores the impact she has already made in her first collegiate competition.

The recognition marks the first CCIW weekly award of O'Connell's career and highlights a seamless transition to the collegiate level. In her first opportunity wearing the navy and orange, she demonstrated the poise, competitiveness, and talent that made her one of Carroll's key additions to the program.

O'Connell and the Pioneers will look to build on the strong opening performance as they continue their season this Friday in De Pere at an invite hosted by St. Norbert at 4pm.