Liberty League Release | RPI Fanshop 

TROY, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athletes and National All-Americas Jaime Lord and Grant O'Connor have been selected for weekly awards by the Liberty League. Lord was chosen as the Women's Cross Country Performer of the Week, while O'Connor earned the same honor in men's cross country. They are both coming off standout performances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Lord (Stony Point, NY / North Rockland), a junior, earned National All-America for the second straight year by finishing 19th at the 6K NCAA Championship with a time of 21:05.9. She helped the team to an 18th place finish. There were 32 teams and 280 competitors in the event, which was held in Louisville, Kentucky.

Last season, Lord was 15th at the NCAA Championship, finishing in 21:30.3 and helping the Engineers set a school record by finishing in ninth place.  

This is the fourth weekly award for Lord, who ran in seven meets this season. She won the Saratoga Invitational, finished second at the Liberty League Championship and was third at Vassar College. Lord, an aeronautical engineering major, was All-Liberty League First Team, All-Region and Liberty League All-Academic - all for the second consecutive season.

A sophomore, O'Connor (West Hartford, CT / Hall) was recognized after earning National All-America - the first of his career - by finishing 25th at the NCAA Championship, running the 8k course in a time of 24:47.2 despite getting tripped up and falling during the race. He helped the team to a school record 13th place finish in the 32-school field. There were 278 individuals.

A competitor in all eight meets this year, O'Connor had two runner-up finishes - Saratoga Invitational and Liberty League Championship - with a third place finish at the NCAA Atlantic Regional. This is the first weekly award for the electrical engineering major, who was All-League First Team, All-Region and Liberty League All-Academic before earning All-America.