MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second time this season, Augsburg University men's cross country runner Mohammed Bati (SR, Dodola, Ethiopia/GAP School) was named as the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III Men's Cross Country National Athlete of the Week, it was announced on Monday. Earlier this year, he became the first Augsburg cross country runner to ever receive the national honor.

This past Saturday, Bati became the first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's cross country runner to ever win four conference titles, cruising to victory in the 163-runner, 8,000-meter men's race in 24:32.7 -- the fifth-fastest 8K time in conference championship history -- winning the title by 10.4 seconds over Kevin Turlington of St. Olaf, who finished in 24:43.1.

The No. 3-ranked runner nationally in the latest FloTrack.com Division III men's individual rankings (Nov. 4) and No. 4-ranked runner in the USTFCCCA's Cross Country Ratings Index (XCRI) for NCAA Division III men, Bati has now recorded four of the five fastest 8,000-meter times in the recorded history of the MIAC Championships. His victory, the 18th of his collegiate career, marked his 18th sub-25-minute time in his 23 career 8,000-meter races.

Bati scored the 15th victory of his 22-race cross country career on Saturday, and has now recorded 16 sub-25-minute 8,000-meter times in his 22 career races.

Bati earned MIAC and USTFCCCA North Region Athlete of the Year honors in 2024, as he won the NCAA Division III North Regional for the first time. He qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships for the second time in his career in 2024, earning All-American honors for the first time with a second-place national meet finish.

The Auggies will compete at the NCAA Division III North Regional on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wis.