NAMPA, Idaho – Sophomore Hazel Kunkel earned GNAC Runner of the Week honor after finishing second at the NNU Invitational at West Park in Nampa. Kunkel helped lead the Nighthawks to a third-place finish as the women placed three runners in the top ten.

The NNU Invitational was Kunkel's first home race of the season at West Park. 

Kunkel was joined near the front of the field by teammates Cameron Moore and Zoey Stauffer, who finished 6th and 10th, respectively. The strong performance helped NNU finish with 56 points and take third place as a team. She finished the 6K in 22:19.1, holding strong through the finish to come second overall by just 0.7 seconds. 

As just a sophomore, Kunkel's performance is an impressive start to her second season as a Nighthawk. She already put herself in the NNU women's all-time top five for the 6K as a freshman, showing the impact she has made early in her career. Her strong finish at the NNU Invitational adds to the momentum she has helped build for the Nighthawks early in the season.

Kunkel and the Nighthawks will return to action on Sept. 26 at the Mike Johnson Classic.