MILWAUKEE – Following an impressive showing at the NIU Huskie Challenge on Friday, juniors Meg Swietlik and Corey Thornton of the Milwaukee cross country teams have been named the Horizon League Runners of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
 
The weekly honor is the first for both Swietlik and Thornton.
 
On the women's side, Swietlik is the first to receive the weekly honor since Oct. 19 last season while Thornton, on the men's side, is the first to receive the honor since Sept. 16 of 2013. 
 
Swietlik, an Elm Grove native, led the Panthers on Friday, finishing second individually out of 94 runners. The junior also set a new career-best 6k by over 10 seconds (22:08.2).
 
Thornton, a Milwaukee native, led the Panthers on the men's side at the NIU Huskie Challenge with a 26:16.8 8k, finishing third individually out of 83 runners. The junior helped the Panthers finish with 53 points for a second-place finish, which was just short of first place Central Michigan's 47 points.
 
The Panthers take a week off of racing, but will hit the course again at their next competition Friday, Sept. 20, at the Bradley Intercollegiate race in Peoria, Ill.