GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest junior cross country runner Katie Plopper has been named the Herff Jones RedHawk Athlete of the Week for Week 1 after turning in a pair of standout performances to open the 2026 season.
Plopper made an immediate impact for the RedHawks during the Sept. 7-14 competition window, recording personal-best performances in both of her races while continuing to climb the IU Northwest women's cross country program's all-time performance list.
Plopper opened the season at the St. Francis Twilight on Sept. 4, where she paced the IU Northwest women with a personal-record time of 21:15.93. Her performance moved her into the program's all-time top 10 and helped the RedHawks finish sixth among 11 women's teams.
She followed that performance with another record-setting effort Saturday at the Ken Weidt Classic, hosted by Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin. Plopper covered the 6K course in 24:54.6, finishing ninth overall and establishing a new program record for the event. The performance placed her at the top of the IU Northwest women's cross country record book.
Plopper's consistency across the opening meets has quickly established her as one of the RedHawks' leading runners. Her performance at the Ken Weidt Classic also came against a competitive field that included runners from Wisconsin-Parkside, Wisconsin-Whitewater, Carthage and other regional programs.
With two personal-best performances to begin the campaign and a new program-best 6K mark already to her name, Plopper has helped set the tone for IU Northwest as the RedHawks continue their 2026 season.
Plopper and the RedHawks return to action Sept. 18 at the Tiger Midwest Classic, hosted by Olivet Nazarene University at Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbonnais, Illinois.
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Indiana University Northwest
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