BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Senior All-American
Mason Phillips was the top NCAA DII runner at the Augustana Twilight and earned the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Mens Athlete of the Week honor, according to an announcement today (Monday, Sept. 10) by the league office.Phillips, who was earlier this fall named NSIC Preseason Men's Athlete of the Year, clocked 18:55.89 across the four-mile course at the Augustana Twilight to finish second and finish as the top DII runner at the meet for a third straight year.
A business administration major from Bailey, Colo., Phillips was one of three USF runners in the top 25 including senior and defending NSIC individual champion
Steven Brown, who was sixth, in leading to USF a fourth place finish with 129 points.
Phillips has earned six combined All-American honors in cross country and track and field. With this week's recognition, Phillips has a combined 10 NSIC Weekly Athlete of the Week honors in track and field (three) and cross country (seven).
To this point in his career, Phillips has six individual school records and three more as a member of a relay squad for 10 total school marks. He owns individual records in outdoor 800 in 1:52.53 in 2017 and indoor records including 800 meters, 1:50.92, 2018; mile run, 4:07.51, 2018; 1,000 meter run, 2:25.92, 2019; 3,000-meter run, 8:18.14, 2018; and 5,000-meter run, 14:17.27, 2018. He has been part of three relay school records including distance medley, 9:48.74, indoor nationals, fourth place finish (All-American), 9:48.74, 2019; 4x800 meter relay, indoors, 7:45.04, 2017; distance medley relay, outdoors, 9:59.80, 2019; 4x1,600-meter relay, 16:40.16 (Drake Relays), 2019. He has totaled 28 cross country or track and field titles (relay or individual).
In addition, Phillips has 21 second place finishes and has placed first or second 50 times at USF. Last spring (2017-18 year), named USF's Male Athlete of the Year. He was the NSIC Indoor Athlete of the Year in 2018, setting five indoor track records at USF (800, 1,000, mile, 3K, and DMR) and won the mile and 3K at the NSIC Indoor Championship. Also in 2018, he led USF Men's Cross Country to a program-first NSIC Championship by finishing second to Brown. Phillips then led the Cougars to the program's top national mark of fifth as he finished an individual and program-best seventh.
He was named NSIC Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2017 after winning individual title for the first time and then named Central Region Athlete of the Year by winning that individual title before placing 15
th at nationals.
Phillips and the USF Cross Country Teams will next compete at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 28 in Minneapolis, Minn.
