CHARLOTTE, NC –  Butler Community College cross country runners Elizabeth Hernandez and Emmanuel Otim have swept the NJCAA Division 1 Cross Country Runner of the Week awards following their individual event titles at the 2025 Bethel College Muthama-Rogers Invitational last week.   

Elizabeth Hernandez (Butler) – NJCAA D1 Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Grizzly sophomore Elizabeth Hernandez won the Bethel College Muthama-Rogers Invitational, placing first out of 94 participants with a time of 18:46.20. Hernandez's time was 16.2 seconds ahead of the runner-up Nadine Mcintyre of Colby Community College as Butler finished as the highest-finishing NJCAA team in the meet with a third place finish out of nine schools in the meet.

Emmanuel Otim (Butler) – NJCAA D1 Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Grizzly sophomore Emmanuel Otim won the Muthama-Rogers Invitational in Newton, Kansas last Saturday, running a time of 25:33.80 to place first out of 132 participants. The time was 15.4 seconds ahead of the runner-up as Butler had the top four individual runners and won the team title, claiming first place in a field of 12 teams.