Nov. 27, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- OREGON's Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott and STANFORD's Arianna Lambie were named the Pacific-10 Conference Cross Country Athletes of the Year, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.

Kiptoo-Biwott, a junior from Eldoret, Kenya, captured his first Pac-10 title when he crossed the line in 22:54 to become the 12th Oregon runner to win the conference title. Kiptoo-Biwott helped the Ducks to victory at the 10,000-meter NCAA West Regional race with a third-place finish (30:03) and finished ninth (29:55) at the NCAA Championships.

Lambie, a senior from Harvard, Mass., claims Pac-10 Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year after defending her Pac-10 title with a clocking of 19:40. Stanford runners have won the Pac-10 individual title in seven of the last nine championships. Lambie went on to finish fifth (20:31) at the NCAA West Regional and placed ninth (20:18) at the NCAA Championships leading the Cardinal to a successful defense of their NCAA title.

OREGON freshman A.J. Acosta, from Oceanside, Calif., was named the Pac-10 Men's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year. He was the top placing freshman at the Pac-10 Championships, finishing 12th (23:24). His performance was key in leading the Ducks to their 15th Pac-10 title. Acosta is the third Oregon runner to earn Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Jason Hartmann who claimed the honor in 1999 and Diego Mercado, last year's Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. Acosta finished 24th (30:49) at the NCAA West Regional.

OREGON freshman Alexandra Kosinski, from El Dorado Hills, Calif., was named the Pac-10 Women's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year. Kosinski was the top finishing freshman at the Pac-10 Championships with a third-place showing (19:54). She was the top-finishing Duck, leading her team to a second-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships. Kosinski placed sixth (20:36) at the NCAA West Regional, and finished 13th (20:33) at the NCAA Championships. She is the first Oregon runner to earn Pac-10 Women's Newcomer of the Year honors.

Also announced were the Conference Coach of the Year honors. Oregon's Vin Lananna was honored as the Pac-10 Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, while Stanford's Peter Tegen picked up his second straight Pac-10 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year honor.

Lananna guided Oregon to it a successful defense of its Pac-10 title, and the school's fifth NCAA Championship. Tegen led the Cardinal women in successful defense of their NCAA title - the school's fifth title overall. Along the way, the Cardinal women picked up their 12th consecutive Pac-10 title, and 14th league title overall.

The honors were decided by a vote of the Conference's cross country coaches.

2007 PAC-10 CROSS COUNTRY HONORS

MEN'S ALL-PAC-10

First Team
Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, Jr., Oregon
Galen Rupp, Jr., Oregon
Russell Brown, Sr., Stanford
Austin Ramos, Sr., UCLA
Hari Mix, Jr., Stanford
Neftalem Araia, Sr., Stanford
Yosef Ghebray, Jr., California

Second Team
Mark Matusak, Jr., California
David Torrence, Sr., California
Kyle Alcorn, Sr., Arizona State
Scott Wall, Jr., Oregon
Andrew Acosta, Fr., Oregon
Kenny Klotz, So., Oregon
Andrew Wheating, Fr., Oregon

Athlete of the Year
Shadrack Kiptoo-Biwott, Jr., Oregon

Newcomer of the Year
A.J. Acosta, Fr., Oregon

Coach of the Year
Vin Lananna, Oregon

WOMEN'S ALL-PAC-10

First Team
Arianna Lambie, Sr., Stanford
Teresa McWalters, Sr., Stanford
Alexandra Kosinski, Fr., Oregon
Nicole Blood, So., Oregon
Jenna Kingma, Jr., Arizona State
Anita Campbell, Jr., Washington
Ali Kielty, So., Arizona State

Second Team
Isley Gonzalez, Sr., Washington State
Katie Follett, So., Washington
Lauren Centrowitz, Sr., Stanford
Sarah Cocco, Fr., USC
Kari Hardt, So., Arizona State
Marie Lawrence, Fr., Washington
Kate Niehaus, So., Stanford

Athlete of the Year
Arianna Lambie, Sr., Stanford

Newcomer of the Year
Alexandra Kosinski, Fr., Oregon

Coach of the Year
Peter Tegen, Stanford

* - All-Conference teams determined by order of finish at the Pac-10 Championships.