University of Minnesota Athletics
Malherek-Osorio Tabbed as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week
9/30/2026 1:56:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Malherek-Osorio helped Minnesota finish second in Chicago last weekend, over then-No. 12 Northwestern.
MINNEAPOLIS – True freshman Jazleen Malherek-Osorio has been named the Big Ten's Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Week for the first time, the conference office announced Wednesday. The honor for Malherek-Osorio comes after her Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational performance where she was the top Big Ten freshman finisher and helped Minnesota finish second as a team.
Malherek-Osorio, a Wayzata high school graduate, clocked a time of 20:06.7 to finish 32nd overall in Chicago on Sept. 25. The true freshman was the fourth finisher among the Gopher lineup that finished with 112 team points to finish second overall. The Maroon and Gold finished behind now No. 15 Virginia and ahead of now No. 21 Northwestern. With the performance Malherek-Osorio and the Gophers moved from No. 24 nationally in the USTFCCCA national rankings to No. 18. The No. 18 ranking for Minnesota's women's cross country is tied for the best team ranking since 2021 (No. 5).
For Malherek-Osorio the honor is her first weekly award this season from the Big Ten. The weekly honor is the second for Minnesota's women this season with Malherek-Osorio joining Ali Weimer from earlier this season.
For more information on the Golden Gophers cross country schedule, visit the men's and women's schedule pages on GopherSports.com.
Malherek-Osorio, a Wayzata high school graduate, clocked a time of 20:06.7 to finish 32nd overall in Chicago on Sept. 25. The true freshman was the fourth finisher among the Gopher lineup that finished with 112 team points to finish second overall. The Maroon and Gold finished behind now No. 15 Virginia and ahead of now No. 21 Northwestern. With the performance Malherek-Osorio and the Gophers moved from No. 24 nationally in the USTFCCCA national rankings to No. 18. The No. 18 ranking for Minnesota's women's cross country is tied for the best team ranking since 2021 (No. 5).
For Malherek-Osorio the honor is her first weekly award this season from the Big Ten. The weekly honor is the second for Minnesota's women this season with Malherek-Osorio joining Ali Weimer from earlier this season.
For more information on the Golden Gophers cross country schedule, visit the men's and women's schedule pages on GopherSports.com.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Cross CountryFriday, September 18
Friday, September 19
Tuesday, September 02
Monday, November 25