After finishing in fourth place and leading the Seattle University men’s cross country team to a solid fifth place finish at last Friday’s Pier Park Invitational hosted by the University of Portland, Nathan Heitzinger (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has been named the GNAC Male Runner of the Week.

Running the eight-kilometer course in 25:27.50, Heitzinger finished behind three runners from Division I schools: race winner Colby Litzenberger of Gonzaga and Andy Edick and Rob Schlegel of Portland. Heitzinger was only 22 seconds behind Litzenberger, nine seconds behind Edick, and two seconds behind Schlegel.

Of the ten squads in the men’s team competition, Seattle University finished in fifth place, ahead of Gonzaga, Northwest University, Clackamas Community College, Warner Pacific, and Evergreen State College. It was Heitzinger’s second consecutive top five finish, as he finished third at the Emerald City Open to open the 2007 season.

Heitzinger becomes the third Seattle University male runner in seven seasons to earn the GNAC weekly award. Steve Manos was named GNAC Male Runner of the Week once in 2001 and once in 2002, while Casey Moriarty earned the weekly honor three times during the 2005 season. 

The top seven runners from both the Seattle University men’s and women’s cross country teams head to Salem, Ore., for the Charles Bowles Invitational hosted by Willamette University at Bush Park on Saturday, Sept. 29, beginning at 9:30 a.m.