The Lone Star Conference recognized 30 student-athletes and two head coaches as league officials announced the annual cross country all-conference honors.
The announcement comes following the LSC Cross Country Championships. West Texas A&M captured its fourth straight men’s title and Midwestern State won its sixth championship on the women's side.
All-conference honors are given to those runners who finish among the top 15 individually at the conference meet, while additional awards are presented for Coach, Newcomer and Freshman of the Year on both the men’s and women’s side.
WT’s Darren Flowers earned men’s coach of the year honors for the fifth consecutive year, while MSU’s Koby Styles was named the women’s coach of the year for the fifth time.
Newcomer of the Year acclaim went to WT’s Owen Hind and Eastern New Mexico’s Mercy Rotich. Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Jose Ventura IV and WT’s Nikolina Hrelec claimed Freshman of the Year honors.
The coaching honors were selected by a vote of all the LSC head coaches, while the newcomer and freshman awards went to the highest finishers at the league championships.
WT’s Geoffrey Kipchumba was the individual medalist for the second straight year to headline the men’s all-conference list. He was joined by Buff teammates Blake Whalen, Hind, Tyson Wieland, and Reid Splawn.
Runner-up Texas A&M-Commerce was represented by Turner Pool and Edwin Aparicio. Tarleton State finished third behind the efforts of Peyton Heinig, while ENMU was fourth with Marcel Skalecki. Angelo State’s Devitt Smetana and Zach Cabrera, TAMUK’s Ventura IV, UT-Permian Basin’s Ruben Guerra, Western New Mexico’s Jose Rojas, and Cameron’s Marvin Dierker earned All-LSC honors as well.
On the women’s side, the Lady Buffs Hrelec captured the women’s individual title to top the all-conference performers.
MSU was first with Bridget Reilly, Sara Smith, Leticia Shaban, Ana Lopez and Michelle Reives placing in the top 15.
ENMU finished second with Rotich, Melina Gryschka and Coley Norcross leading the way, while WT was third with top-15 performers Hrelec and Kelly McCaskill.
Katelin Huckabee and Esmeralda Fuentes represented fourth-place Tarleton State. A&M-C’s Terra Truitt, ASU’s Kelsey Warren and WNMU’s Guadalupe Cantoran rounded out the All-LSC list.
2016 LSC CROSS COUNTRY ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
MEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS
| Place |
Runner |
Team |
Year |
Hometown |
| 1 |
Geoffrey Kipchumba |
West Texas A&M |
JR |
Kapsabet, Kenya |
| 2 |
Blake Whalen |
West Texas A&M |
SR |
Dubuque, Iowa |
| 3 |
Owen Hind |
West Texas A&M |
JR |
London, England |
| 4 |
Turner Pool |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
JR |
Frisco, Texas |
| 5 |
Tyson Wieland |
West Texas A&M |
SR |
Perry, Iowa |
| 6 |
Devitt Smetana |
Angelo State |
SO |
Veribest, Texas |
| 7 |
Jose Ventura IV |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
FR |
San Antonio, Texas |
| 8 |
Peyton Heinig |
Tarleton State |
JR |
Austin, Texas |
| 9 |
Ruben Guerra |
UT-Permian Basin |
FR |
Midland, Texas |
| 10 |
Reid Splawn |
West Texas A&M |
SO |
Amarillo, Texas |
| 11 |
Jose Rojas |
Western New Mexico |
SR |
Nogales, Ariz. |
| 12 |
Marvin Dierker |
Cameron |
FR |
Bissendorf, Germany |
| 13 |
Marcel Skalecki |
Eastern New Mexico |
SO |
Bremen, Germany |
| 14 |
Edwin Aparicio |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
FR |
Katy, Texas |
| 15 |
Zach Cabrera |
Angelo State |
FR |
San Angelo, Texas |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Men’s Team Champion: West Texas A&M
Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Owen Hind, West Texas A&M
Men’s Freshman of the Year: Jose Ventura IV, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Men’s Coach of the Year: Darren Flowers, West Texas A&M
WOMEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS
| Place |
Runner |
Team |
Year |
Hometown |
| 1 |
Nikolina Hrelec |
West Texas A&M |
FR |
Zagreb, Croatia |
| 2 |
Mercy Rotich |
Eastern New Mexico |
JR |
Kenya |
| 3 |
Melina Gryschka |
Eastern New Mexico |
SO |
Garbsen, Germany |
| 4 |
Bridget Reilly |
Midwestern State |
SO |
Royalla, Australia |
| 5 |
Katelin Huckabee |
Tarleton State |
SR |
Belton, Texas |
| 6 |
Terra Truitt |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
SR |
Pampa, Texas |
| 7 |
Sara Smith |
Midwestern State |
SO |
Dalhart, Texas |
| 8 |
Coley Norcross |
Eastern New Mexico |
JR |
Albuquerque, N.M. |
| 9 |
Esmeralda Fuentes |
Tarleton State |
FR |
Buda, Texas |
| 10 |
Kelsey Warren |
Angelo State |
JR |
Hico, Texas |
| 11 |
Guadalupe Cantoran |
Western New Mexico |
SR |
Santa Ana, Calif. |
| 12 |
Leticia Shaban |
Midwestern State |
SR |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| 13 |
Ana Lopez |
Midwestern State |
SR |
Hereford, Texas |
| 14 |
Kelly McCaskill |
West Texas A&M |
FR |
Fort Eustis, Va. |
| 15 |
Michelle Reives |
Midwestern State |
SO |
Hereford, Texas |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Women’s Team Champion: Midwestern State
Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Mercy Rotich, Eastern New Mexico
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Nikolina Hrelec, West Texas A&M
Women’s Coach of the Year: Koby Styles, Midwestern State