GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Prior to the opening race of the 2022 Summit League Cross Country Championships, the league office announced McKenzie Burian as the Scholar of the Championship on Saturday morning.
Coming into the season, Burian was one of four Fighting Hawks named as an Athlete to Watch by the Summit League. Already this season, Burian has been one of the top three UND runners to cross the finish line in every meet. Her best individual finish was 11th in the 4K at the Dragon Twilight. She enters the championship meet with a 6K personal-best time of 21:46.4, set at the 2021 Arturo Barrios Invitational last season.
The Fargo native is a two-time member of the second team All-Summit League team. She originally claimed the honor first during the 2020-21 season, finishing ninth at the conference championship and running a time of 22:33.4 in the 6K. In 2021, Burian gained second team accolades for the second year in a row, finishing 14th at the Summit League Championships in a time of 22:16.4. She was also the second Hawk to cross the finish line at the 2021 NCAA Midwest Regional, taking 122nd in a time of 22:34.3.
Burian is majoring in Biology Professional Health and earned Academic All-Summit League honors last season.
