NEW ORLEANS – App State’s Noah Martinson and ULM’s Tuva Sandberg each turned in impressive performances out on the courses they competed on. They have been named Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Runners of the Week.
 
Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Noah Martinson, App State
(3rd Yr., Carrollton, Ga.)
 
App State third year Noah Martinson led the Mountaineers for the second straight meet to a top five finish. The Carrollton, Ga., native secured a solo 9th-place finish in a field of 309 athletes at the Southern Showcase and propelled App State to a 2nd-place finish in a 29-team field, beating Clemson, Georgia, Auburn and Georgia Tech, while finishing only behind No. 4 Alabama. Martinson ran a stellar 8K with a time of 23:57.3, which marked the fastest time for a Mountaineer since 2024 and topped his personal best by 12 seconds. It is his second top 10 solo finish in as many meets and has led the team up to 11th in their region.

Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week
Tuva Sandberg, ULM
(2nd Yr., Forsvik, Sweden)
 
ULM second year Tuva Sandberg led the Warhawks in the second meet of the year, reaching a personal-best in the 5k with a 17:37.3. She finished 37th of 209 competitors. Her time ranks 20th in the South Central region. As just a second-year competitor, Sandberg's new personal best now ranks second in 2026 among Sun Belt runners. It is the fastest time this week among Sun Belt women.
 
2026 Sun Belt Men’s Cross Country Runners of the Week
Week 1 – Brady Keller, South Alabama
Week 2 – Matthew Maynard, Louisiana
Week 3 – Noah Martinson, App State
 
2026 Sun Belt Women’s Cross Country Runners of the Week
Week 1 – Rachael Withrow, Marshall
Week 2 – Rachael Withrow, Marshall
Week 3 – Tuva Sandberg, ULM