HOUGHTON, Mich. – For the first time in her career, Michigan Tech cross country student-athlete Sophia Rhein has been named the GLIAC Athlete of the Week, the league announced on Monday. 

Rhein, a native of Traverse City, Michigan, took runner-up honors in the season debut at the Phoenix Open hosted by the University of Green Bay on Saturday afternoon. She was the low-stick for the women's squad, finishing under 10 seconds behind the winner of the 6k race; her time of 21:49.8 was an over 30-second improvement from her fourth-place finish at the meet the previous season. The junior standout's placement helped the team finish with 102 points, good for fourth overall—13 points ahead of Division I and Horizon League affiliate Milwaukee.

Rhein and the rest of the Huskies will return to the grass on Sept. 19, traveling to the Twin Cities for the historic Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.