Pac-12 Announces Cross Country Awards
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Conference office announced today the Pac-12 men's and women's cross country awards and, for the second-consecutive year, a Wildcat has swept the individual men's cross country honors. ARIZONA's Lawi Lalang was voted the Pac-12 Men's Athlete of the Year and the Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year. On the women's side, OREGON's Jordan Hasay repeats as the Pac-12 Women's Athlete of the Year and ARIZONA STATE's Shelby Houlihan was selected the Pac-12 Women's Newcomer of the Year. The league coaches also selected COLORADO's Mark Wetmore the Pac-12 Men's Coach of the Year and WASHINGTON's Greg Metcalf the Pac-12 Women's Coach of the Year.
A freshman from Eldoret, Kenya, Lawi Lalang is only the second runner in the history of the Conference to win both major honors in the same season. The first was Stephen Sambu, a Wildcat on last year's squad. Lalang was undefeated this fall, winning the inaugural Pac-12 Championships, NCAA West Regional and the NCAA Championships. He ran the fastest time at the Pac-12 Championships since the race was re-contested in 1969, crossing the finish line with a time of 22:37, eight seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. He became the Conference's first individual national champion since 2008, running in a time of 28:44, 13 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. Lalang was recently named the United State Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Men's Athlete of the Year. The Conference has named a Men's Athlete of the Year every year since 1975 and the newcomer award was established in 1999.
Hailing from Arroyo Grande, Calif., Jordan Hasay is the Conference's Women's Athlete of the Year for the second-consecutive year. Placing third at the Pac-12 Championships, she went on to win the NCAA West Regional with a time of 19:44, her second-straight win at the event. She nearly brought home top honors at the NCAA Championships, but was edged out by just .4 seconds to place second at the national meet with a time of 19:41.6. Hasay was the league's 2009 Newcomer of the Year. She is the first Duck to win Women's Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons and the second claim the honor twice. Hasay was also recently named the USTFCCCA West Region Women's Athlete of the Year for the second-straight year.
A freshman from Sioux City, Iowa, Shelby Houlihan is the second Sun Devil, and first since 2006, to be voted the league's Newcomer of the Year, which was first selected in 1999. She was the top-finishing freshman at the Pac-12 Championships (8th) and the NCAA West Regional Championships (12th). In addition, she was the eighth-best freshman finisher at the NCAA Championships. Houlihan paced the Sun Devils in each of her five competitions during the 2011 campaign.
In his first season coaching in the Pac-12, Mark Wetmore's Buffaloes won the Conference Championship crown, edging Stanford by seven points. His squad went on to place second at the NCAA Mountain Regional race, then came in third at the NCAA Championships. In his 18th year in Boulder, he has guided the Buffs to NCAA Championships in 2000 (women's), 2001 (men's), 2004 (men's and women's) and 2006 (men's). Also the head coach of the women's team, CU claimed the women's Pac-12 Championship, as well.
Washington's Greg Metcalf is the league's Women's Coach of the Year for the third time in the last four years. The Huskies were ranked as high as No. 2 in the USTFCCCA national coaches poll this year. UW placed second at the Pac-12 Championships but Huskies sophomore Katie Flood was the individual winner by eight seconds. Washington nearly won the national championship in Terre Haute, Ind., coming in second place behind Georgetown by a mere eight points. He had three runners place in the top 10 and five scorers in the top 15. In his 10th year at the UW helm, he was named the USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year for four-straight years.
MEN'S ALL-PAC-12
First Team
Chris Derrick, Sr., Stanford
Lawi Lalang, Fr., Arizona
Richard Medina, Jr., Colorado
Luke Puskedra, Sr., Oregon
Jake Riley, RS-Sr., Stanford
Parker Stinson, So., Oregon
Andy Wacker, Sr., Colorado
Second Team
Joe Bosshard, Jr., Colorado
Brendan Gregg, RS-Sr., Stanford
Collin Jarvis, Jr., California
Andrew Kimpel, Jr., Washington State
Kent Morikawa, RS-Sr., UCLA
Erik Olson, So., Stanford
Christian Thompson, Sr., Colorado
Men's Athlete of the Year
Lawi Lalang, Fr., Arizona
Men's Newcomer of the Year
Lawi Lalang, Fr., Arizona
Men's Coach of the Year
Mark Wetmore, Colorado
WOMEN'S ALL-PAC-12
First Team
Jennifer Bergman, Jr., Arizona
Emma Coburn, Sr., Colorado
Katie Flood, So., Washington
Jordan Hasay, Jr., Oregon
Shalaya Kipp, So., Colorado
Kathy Kroeger, Jr., Stanford
Stephanie Marcy, RS-Sr., Stanford
Second Team
Christine Babcock, Sr., Washington
Rachel Baptista, Fr., Colorado
Lara Darco, Sr., Colorado
Shelby Houlihan, Fr., Arizona State
Elvin Kibet, So., Arizona
Amanda Mergaert, Jr., Utah
Jessica Tonn, So., Stanford
Women's Athlete of the Year
Jordan Hasay, Jr., Oregon
Women's Newcomer of the Year
Shelby Houlihan, Fr., Arizona State
Women's Coach of the Year
Greg Metcalf, Washington
* - All-Conference teams determined by order of finish at the Pac-12 Championships.