FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Following an impressive start to the 2021 campaign, Clark Edwards and Logan Funk swept the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors after the two starred for Christopher Newport during the Spider Alumni Open on Saturday in Mechanicsville.

Facing a host of Division I competition, Edwards and Funk shined while battling some of the finest runners in Virginia. Both standouts were the top Division III finishers in their respective races and eventually posted top-25 efforts to highlight an impressive showcase for the cross country squads.

The weekly award is the second for Funk after she was previously named the Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week as a freshman on October 9, 2018. Meanwhile, the cross country honor is the first for Edwards, although he was previously celebrated as the Men's Track Athlete of the Week on December 11, 2018, January 29, 2019, and March 23, 2021.

On the women's side, Funk established her PR in the two-mile run after finishing the race in 11:48.5. That clocking was the top mark for a Division III competitor, topping the second-place finisher by nearly 30 seconds. It also placed her 25th in the entire field, which included 70 Division I runners representing some of the best programs in Virginia.

For the men, Edwards just missed his PR in the 5K after crossing the line in 15:33.6 at Pole Green Park. That mark was nearly two seconds faster than the next best Division III runner and placed him 16th among all competitors during the meet. In a race featuring 50 Division I entrants, he was only bested by runners from Richmond, Virginia, and George Mason.

Overall, the men eventually placed third in the final team standings, while the women came in fifth. Both squads were also the top Division III programs at the meet.

Edwards, Funk, and the rest of their teammates will return to action on September 18 when Christopher Newport hosts the CNU Invitational at Lee Hall Mansion.

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