CORVALLIS, Ore. – It's hard to imagine a better start to 2021 for Corban men's cross country standout Robert Swoboda, who was announced as the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Embrace Health-Santiam Runner of the Week on Monday.

The award comes after Swoboda topped a field of 11 harriers at last Saturday's Corban Invite, propelling the Navy and Gold to the team victory over Bushnell University.

Swoboda stole the spotlight at the first cross country meet held on Corban's University's campus since 2016, blowing away the competition en route to a first-place individual finish. Incredibly, his time of 20:31.3 was nearly 40 seconds ahead of the event's runner-up finisher (Bushnell's Jacob Lackey, 21:10.1).

The wet conditions and hilly terrain of Corban's campus proved challenging for all participants, but Swoboda was able to battle his way to an impressive time regardless.

Overall, Saturday's results serve as an encouraging start for both Warrior cross country programs, kickstarting the 2021 portion of the season with a strong set of results.

Both teams will be back in action on January 29, returning to Cottage Grove, Ore. for the Bushnell Invitational.