IRVINE, Calif. – This week’s PacWest Men’s Cross Country Runners of the Week are Academy of Art’s Valentin Pepiot and California Baptist’s Hector Hernandez. The awards are based on races held Oct. 6-Oct. 13.
 
Runner of the Week – Valentin Pepiot (Academy of Art)
Sr., Besancon, France
 
Pepiot took home first place out of 172 runners at the San Francisco State Invitational, leading Academy of Art to a sixth-place team finish overall. Pepiot finished the race with a time of 24:53.1, winning by a six-second margin. The win and weekly honor are the second for Pepiot this season.
 
Freshman of the Week – Hector Hernandez (California Baptist)
Fr., Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs HS
 
With a time of 25:33.19, Hernandez finished in sixth place out of 142 runners at the 25th Annual Vanguard Invitational. His sixth-place finish helped the Lancers to a third-place team finish overall.