Ohio Northern junior Ian McVey (Stow/Munroe Falls) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week for the week of Sept. 1-4.

McVey led the Polar Bears (7-0) to a victory in the season-opening Bluffton 6k on Friday at the Bluffton Nature Preserve.

He led Ohio Northern across the finish line in second place in 18:40, finishing first among NCAA Division III runners.

It marks the second consecutive season that McVey won the award for his efforts at the Bluffton meet as he also won the honor on Sept. 6, 2016.

The Polar Bears will return to action Saturday at the Calvin (Mich.) Invitational.