For the second consecutive season, University of Florida assistant track and cross country coach Todd Morgan was named the SEC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, announced by the Southeastern Conference Friday. The honor for Morgan, UF’s second coaching honor since 1997 and fifth overall, comes four days after the Gators won their second consecutive and fifth overall SEC Cross Country title by one point (61) over Arkansas (60). In addition to Morgan’s accolade, eight Gator runners picked up All-SEC honors, including five for the Gator women and three for the UF men’s team.
Florida placed two on the first team All-SEC list on the women’s side in top UF finishers, Charlotte Browning (Chichester, England) and junior Rebecca Lowe (Vaucluse, Australia), who placed third (21:11.13) and sixth (21:15.47), respectively, and one on the second team All-SEC list, junior Genevieve LaCaze (Daisy Hill, Australia), for her eighth-place finish (21:16.10) at the 2010 SEC meet in Columbia, S.C., Nov. 1.
The women’s freshman duo of Cory McGee (Pass Christian, Miss.) and Stephanie Strasser (Fernandina Beach, Fla.) rallied as Florida’s fourth and fifth scorers with performances that impressed, each receiving SEC All-Freshman Team accolades. McGee, the second freshman finisher in the field of 100 athletes, clocked a 21:33.17, 17th-place overall finish, while Strasser, the fourth freshman finisher overall, crossed the finish line in 21:49.94, good for 26th in the field of competitors.
On the men’s side, the Gators placed one each on the first, second and freshman All-SEC teams, led by junior Dumisane Hlaselo (South Africa), who finished fifth overall in 24:08.32, the sixth-fastest 8K at the SEC Championship meet in Florida history to achieve first team honors, his inaugural league accolades as a Gator.
Perhaps the most improvement from last season came from 2010 second team All-SEC sophomore Derek Wehunt (Odessa, Fla.), who was UF’s second scorer in 13th place after coming in 58th at last year’s league meet. Wehunt additionally put up a personal-best time, crossing the finish line in 24:39.35 for his first SEC honor donning the Orange and Blue.
The talent of the Florida freshman recruiting class was just as prevalent on the men’s side as the women’s, as Tallahassee native, freshman Matt Mizereck, crossed the finish line as Florida’s third scorer overall, achieving 15th place and reeling in SEC All-Freshman Team honors as the second freshman to finish the men’s 8K race.
Florida’s men additionally rose to the challenge at the 2010 conference meet, securing third place, the best team finish for the UF men since 2007. The men’s squad finished in the top five at the conference meet for the 14th consecutive year and in the top three for the seventh season out of the last nine. Florida was just seven points shy (69) of second-place team and defending champion Alabama (62 points), while Arkansas captured this year's men’s team title with 34 points.
Florida will continue training and remain idle from competition until they hit the road for the NCAA South Region Championships in Birmingham, Ala., Nov. 13. For updated information, race times and results, visit www.GatorZone.com and follow the Gators on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorZoneXCntry.
2010 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS
2010 SEC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year
Kristie Krueger, Georgia
2010 SEC Women’s Freshman Athlete of the Year
Stephanie Brown, Arkansas
2010 SEC Women’s Coach of the Year
Todd Morgan, Florida
2010 SEC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year
Barnabas Kirui, Ole Miss
2010 SEC Men’s Freshman Athlete of the Year
Bryan Cantero, Arkansas
2010 SEC Men’s Coach of the Year
Chris Bucknam, Arkansas
2010 SEC Cross Country All-SEC Teams
Men's First Team
Barnabas Kirui, Sr. - Ole Miss (23:52.07)
Ben Cheruiyot, Jr. - Auburn (24:01.36)
Dorian Ulrey, Sr. - Arkansas (24:03.46)
Julius Bor, Sr. - Alabama (24:05.88)
Dumisane Hlaselo, Jr. - Florida (24:08.32)
Eric Fernandez, So. - Arkansas (24:10.12)
Solomon Haile, So. - Arkansas (24:17.35)
Men's Second Team
Bryan Cantero, Fr. - Arkansas (24:22.16)
Carrison Kemei, So. - Alabama (24:23.65)
Dey Tuach, Jr. - Arkansas (24:24.77)
Michael Spooner, Sr. - Tennessee (24:27.17)
Joel Rop, Jr. - Alabama (24:34.14)
Derek Wehunt, So. - Florida (24:39.35)
Martin Kirui, Jr. - Ole Miss (24:41.91)
Men's All-Freshman Team
Bryan Cantero - Arkansas
Matt Mizereck - Florida
Kipchirchir Kiptoo - Ole Miss
Jake Rainey - Tennessee
Daniel Tobin - Tennessee
Brandon Lord - Georgia
Charles Sparks - Georgia
Women's First Team
Kristie Krueger, Jr. - Georgia (20:41.25)
Hollie Knight, Sr. - Auburn (20:49.39)
Charlotte Browning, Sr. - Florida (21:11.13)
Miranda Walker, Sr. - Arkansas (21:12.25)
Stephanie Brown, Fr. - Arkansas (21:12.84)
Rebecca Lowe, Jr. - Florida (21:15.47)
Stephanie Barnes, Sr. - Auburn (21:15.86)
Women's Second Team
Genevieve LaCaze, Jr. - Florida (21:16.10)
Haley Greenwell, So. - Mississippi St. (21:16.71)
Jordan White, So. - Vanderbilt (21:18.46)
Rita Jorgensen, Sr. - Vanderbilt (21:22.76)
Renee Masterson, So. - Mississippi St. (21:23.78)
Cally Macumber, So. - Kentucky (21:24.47)
Kristen Gillespie, Jr. - Arkansas (21:26.79)
Women's Freshman Team
Stephanie Brown - Arkansas
Cory McGee, - Florida
Liz Anderson - Vanderbilt
Stephanie Strasser - Florida
Taylor Wendler - Kentucky
Grace Heymsfield - Arkansas
Anna Bostrom - Kentucky
