PORTLAND, ORE. – Ben Browning of the University of Alaska Anchorage was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week Tuesday.

Browning topped a field of 19 runners at the Blue & Gold meet in Fairbanks, picking up a win in his 2026 season debut. He clocked an eight-kilometer time of 25:34.0 minutes, knocking off teammate Benjamin Peck – the runner-up – by 10 seconds. Browning narrowly missed all-conference last year, placing 13th at the GNAC Championships before taking 30th place at the NCAA West Region Championships.

"Ben had a great year last year and has made great progress as a runner," said head coach Ryan McWilliams. "It is great to see him pick up where he left off. I am really excited to see what he and this group of guys can do as the season continues on."

UAA will host the Seawolf Throwdown this Saturday at Kincaid Park.