PORTLAND, Ore. – Junior distance runner Ase Ackerman was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's men track athlete of the week for his performance in the 5,000 meters last Friday.
 
"It's great to see all his hard work paying off," MSUB head track and field coach Jonathan Woehl said. "He's got a great group of teammates who are right there with him."
 
Ackerman ran the GNAC's fastest 5K time of the season so far and set a new personal best of 15:20.69 in his win at Black Hills State's Dave Little Alumni Mile. Going into last Friday's 5K, which was Ackerman's season-debut in the event, the junior said his main goal was to stay focused during the last mile of the race. If he was to do that, Ackerman believed he had a good chance to win.

"There were a lot of great runners in the race, including my teammates, so anything could happen," Ackerman said. "It was really tough like I expected it to be for the last mile, but I was able to hold off everyone chasing me down."

Running alongside fellow junior Logan Straus, the duo finished 1-2 and broke into the MSUB indoor track's top-10 all-time marks; Ackerman ranks fourth and Straus – who ran the 5K in 15:22.29 – sits in fifth.
 
With altitude and track conversions in consideration, Ackerman's time of 14:56.58 ranks 67^th in Division II. Straus, to his credit, ranks 68^th and second in the GNAC.

"I know this weekend's meet was a step in the right direction for all of us distance runners at MSUB," Ackerman said.
 
Prior to last Friday, Ackerman's 5K personal-best was a 15:26.10, which he ran at the 2021 ISU Bengal Invitational on April 16, 2021. Coincidentally, he also set his previous-best indoor 5K time at the 2020 Dave Little Alumni Mile with a 16:10.59.
 
This weekly award is Ackerman's third of the 2021-22 year; he was named the GNAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week twice this past fall.
 
UP NEXT: Ackerman and the 'Jackets travel south this weekend to Chadron State College's Don Holst Open, held in Chadron, Neb. on Saturday, Jan. 29. Meet information can be found at the men's and women's track schedule pages at msubsports.com.