University of Wisconsin-Parkside junior Jake Dubnicka has been named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Runner of the Week in men’s cross countrys, it was announced by the Conference office on Wednesday. 

Dubnicka placed first individually and helped lead the 13th-ranked Rangers to a team win at the 36th-annual Midwest Open on Saturday in Somers, Wisconsin.  The Harland, Wisconsin, native made his season debut by besting the 133-competitor field after traversing the 8,000-meter layout in 25 minutes, 39.1 seconds.  His time was nearly 10 seconds faster than runner-up Jordan Carpenter of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Dubnicka, who earned All-GLVC status last year with a fourth-place finish at the GLVC Championships, was the first Ranger individual champion at the Midwest Open since Ben Orvold in 2010.

Dubnicka earns his first career weekly award and the first for a Ranger since Evan Lewandowski claimed the honor on Oct. 21, 2014.