Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Erik Steffens (Moline, Ill.) is the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week. The senior distance-runner led the Cougars at the Eastern Illinois University Panther Open on Friday.

Steffens finished second overall in the 8,000-meter event and in the process posted the eighth fastest time in SIUE history. He completed the course in a time of 25:14.

The time is a meet, season and all-time personal best for Steffens.

SIUE finished fourth at the meet as a team. The Cougars finished just behind Southern Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois with a team score of 94.

Steffens’ teammate Kyle Cameron finished just behind the senior in third place in a time of 25:17. 

SIUE will travel to Southern Illinois on Friday for the Saluki Invitational.

Other top performers in the GLVC last week included Bellarmine’s Neal Masterson, Northern Kentucky’s Ryne Smith and Southern Indiana’s Paul Jellema.