NEW ORLEANS – From runaway victories to come-from-behind thrillers and everything in between at significant meets around the country, National Athletes of the Week came in all varieties this week.

The Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., produced the Division I men’s and women’s honorees in very different fashion. Defending NCAA men’s cross country champion Kennedy Kithuka obliterated a field including the 2012 Pre-Nationals champion by more than half a minute to take his second men’s honor of the season.

In contrast, Boise State’s Emma Bates ran down a handful of other potential All-Americans in the final kilometer of her race to take the women’s award.