Joliet, Ill. - If the current trend continues, the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) may have to rename its women's cross country runner of the week award. Saint Xavier University junior Rachael Dean (Lindenhurst, Ill./Judson University/Lakes) claimed the honor for the third straight week after a successful outing at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships last Friday at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill. Dean finished 26^th overall out of 330 runners participating in a field full of NCAA Division I competition. The Cougars took 11^th out of 31 teams at the meet.

Completing the 5,000-meter (5K) course in a time of 18:51, Dean ran the course at Weibring Golf Course at a 6:04 mile pace. Last weekend, she won Olivet Nazarene's Midwest Classic with a time of 18:48 and helped SXU to a second-place team finish. In Saint Xavier's season-opening meet at Horsetail Slough in Palos Heights, Ill., Dean posted second place individually completing the two-mile course in 11:15.

Unfortunately for Dean, she will not get the chance to win four consecutive awards since the Cougars do not compete this weekend. Saint Xavier returns to action on Saturday, October 2, for the Sean Earl Invitational at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. The women's race starts at noon.