RUSSELVILLE, Ark. – With a record-shattering performance at the Tiger Invitational on Friday, Ouachita senior Allison Hylkema earned Great American Conference Cross Country Runner of the Week to close out the regular season in unforgettable fashion.

Hylkema finished first overall out of 54 runners with a personal-best time of 17:43.60 to set a new program record for the fastest 5ooom finish in women's program history. The Jackson, Tenn. native capped her final race on Ouachita's home course with a record-breaking finish, which beat the previous record of 17:54, set by Izzi Breaux in 2024. 

Hylkema joined freshman Caleb Greenwich, who also earned the weekly GAC award, as part of a historic weekend for Ouachita's cross country teams. Both runners broke course records in Arkadelphia to establish a new standard for the Tigers heading into the conference championships. 

Ouachita Cross Country Coach Steve Guymon mentioned Hylkema is one of the most determined, hard-working runner's he's ever coached. Under tremendous leadership from the senior class, Ouachita women's team has posted 16 of the top 30 times in program history this season. 

The Tigers begin the postseason looking to defend their conference title at the GAC Championship on Oct. 25 in Monticello, Ark.