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Pac-12 cross country honors announced

Nov 26, 2013
xc award winners
Cliff Grassmick/Pac-12 Conference

Oregon’s Cheserek Named Men’s Athlete & Newcomer of the Year
Stanford’s Cuffe Named Women’s Athlete of the Year
Arizona’s Beattie Named Women’s Newcomer of the Year

Arizona’s Li and Colorado’s Wetmore Named Coaches of the Year

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Conference office announced today the Pac-12 men’s and women’s cross country awards. OREGON’s Edward Cheserek was voted the Men’s Athlete and Newcomer of the Year, while STANFORD’s Aisling Cuffe was honored as the Women’s Athlete of the Year and ARIZONA’s Kayla Beattie was awarded the Women’s Newcomer of the Year. Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors went to COLORADO’s Mark Wetmore on the men’s side for the third-consecutive year and UA’s James Li on the women’s side.

The 2013 NCAA Champion after running in a time of 29:41.1, freshman Edward Cheserek (Newark, N.J.) is the first OREGON Duck to win Athlete of the Year honors since Galen Rupp won the award in 2008. It is also the 10th time an Oregon Duck has been given the honor in the 38 years of the award. Cheserek had an historic season as the first UO freshman to win the Pac-12 individual title. He then went on to become the first true freshman since 1988 to win the national championship and first Duck freshman to do so in school history. Cheserek is the second-straight Duck to win the Newcomer of the Year nod and sixth all-time. Cheserek was also named the National Athlete of the Year today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Junior Aisling Cuffe (Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, N.Y.) is the eighth STANFORD Cardinal all-time to be named Athlete of the Year. She won her first-career Pac-12 title earlier this month, breaking for the lead in the final 2k of the 6,000-meter race. She went on to place third at the NCAA West Region race, then was the top Pac-12 runner at the NCAA Championships, posting a fourth-place showing. With her lead, the Cardinal finished 11th at the NCAA meet and second at the regional to earn an automatic bid to the national meet.

Sophomore Kayla Beattie (Woodstock, Ill.) led the ARIZONA Wildcats to the program’s first-ever Pac-12 team title. She was fifth overall, and one of two Wildcats in the top five, at the Conference meet. She was one of three UA runners to place in the top 10 at the NCAA West Regional, helping Arizona claim its first regional crown since 1998. Beattie wrapped up the 2013 campaign at the NCAA Championships, helping Arizona to second place in the team standings, the programs’s best-ever finish.

COLORADO’s Mark Wetmore wins the Pac-12 Men’s Coach of the Year honor for the third-straight year after leading the Buffs to the program’s fourth all-time NCAA title and a third-straight Pac-12 crown. Three Colorado runners placed in the top 25, as the Buffs claimed the national title by a 149-169 margin over Mountain Regional-rival Northern Arizona. At the Conference meet, Colorado placed five runners in the top 10 to claim the league crown, scoring just 30 points. Wetmore is in his 19th season as head coach of the Buffaloes. He was announced the USTFCCCA’s National Men’s Coach of the Year today, as well.

Arizona’s James Li is the Pac-12 Women’s Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to the program’s first-ever Conference title and its best-ever finish at the NCAA Championships. Prior to the second-place showing at the NCAA Championships, the Wildcats had been undefeated, winning prestigious titles at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational, Roy Griak Invitational and NCAA West Regional, in addition to the Conference crown. Its title at regional race was the first for the program in 15 years. Li is in his 12th season at Arizona.

Following are the men’s and women’s All-Pac-12 teams. The top seven finishers at the Pac-12 Championships are named to the first team. The eighth through 14th finishers at the Conference Championships are placed on the second team. Athletes names are listed below are in alphabetical order.

Men's All-Pac-12 Women's All-Pac-12
First Team First Team
Edward Cheserek, Fr., ORE Kayla Beattie, So., ARIZ
Pierce Murphy, So., COLO Nicci Corbin, So., ARIZ
Jim Rosa, Jr., STAN Aisling Cuffe, Jr., STAN
Blake Theroux, Jr., COLO Shelby Houlihan, Jr., ASU
Ben Saarel, Fr., COLO Elvin Kibet, Sr., ARIZ
Parker Stinson, Sr., ORE Kelsey Santisteban, Jr., CAL
Connor Winter, So., COLO Kelsey Smith, RS-Jr., UCLA
   
Second Team Second Team
Michael Atchoo, Sr., STAN Erin Clark, Fr., COLO
Mac Fleet, Sr., ORE Katie Flood, Sr., WASH
Nick Hartle, So., UCLA Shalya Kipp, Sr., COLO
Ammar Moussa, RS-So., COLO Melanie Nun, Fr., COLO
Aaron Nelson, Jr., WASH Jessica Tonn, Sr., STAN
Erik Olson, Sr., STAN Carrie Verdon, So., COLO
Garrett Seawell, Sr., ASU Rebekah Winterton, Jr., UTAH
   
Athlete of the Year Athlete of the Year
Edward Cheserek, Fr., ORE Aisling Cuffe, Jr., STAN
   
Newcomer of the Year Newcomer of the Year
Edward Cheserek, Fr., ORE Kayla Beattie, So., ARIZ
   
Coach of the Year Coach of the Year
Mark Wetmore, COLO James Li, ARIZ