Eric Atkinson has been named the North Central Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week. Atkinson, a senior from Spooner, Wis., placed fifth out of 510 runners at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational in Salem, Wis. with a time of 25:19. The Bulldog men finished fifth out of 25 teams.

This is Atkinson's second time this season as NCC Athlete of the Week. The strong cross country captain has been the Bulldogs consistent number one runner throughout the season. He has claimed two meet individual titles and placed within the top five finishers so far this season.

The Bulldog men are currently ranked 6th and the women 7th in the North Central Region according to the USCCCA poll.

The UMD Cross Country team will be in action as they host the North Central Conference Championships this Saturday in Carlton, Minn.