Oct. 23, 2008

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Freshman Bogdana Mimic was better than 265 competitors at the Pre-Nationals meet in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 18. For her role in the Wildcats' second-place finish, Mimic earns women's BIG EAST Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors as announced by the conference office on Thursday afternoon.

The Wildcats faced a tough task at the Pre-Nationals with a field of highly ranked teams. Mimic led Villanova, finishing the 6K course in 20:33.4, good for 13th place. Villanova finished second overall, defeating three squads that were ranked in the top-10 including No. 4 Minnesota, No. 6 Stanford and No. 9 Michigan State. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll rewarded the effort with a seven-spot jump to No. 6 for the Villanova women.

The Wildcats have a one-week break before competing in the BIG EAST Championships on Oct. 31 at Van Cortlandt Park, N.Y.