The Lone Star Conference honored 31 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 fifth straight men’s title and Tarleton State won its second 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 Jake Krolick earned men’s coach of the year acclaim, while Tarleton’s Pat Ponder was named the women’s coach of the year for the fourth time. 

      Newcomer of the Year acclaim went to WT’s Ryan Thomson and the TexAnns Amy Riera.  The Buffs Briggs Wittlake and Midwestern State's Kayleigh Jarrett earned 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 Owen Hind was the individual medalist to headline the men’s all-conference list.  He was joined by Buff teammates Thomson, Wittlake, Benedict Westhenry, and Geoffrey Kipchumba.

      Runner-up Tarleton State was represented by Michael Simcho, Justin Botello, and Jarred Elizondo.  UT Permian Basin finished third with all-conference performances by Nicholas Wittkopp, Jesus Martinez, and Ruben Guerra.

      Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Jose Ventura IV and Daniel Guerrero, Angelo State’s Laban Kandie, and Eastern New Mexico’s earned All-LSC honors as well.

      On the women’s side, the Mustangs Jarrett claimed the women’s individual title to top the all-conference performers.  She was joined by teammates Sara Smith and Delaney Locke as MSU finished in third place.

      Tarleton captured the women’s title with Esmeralda Fuentes, Gretzel Jimenez, Emily Ayers, and Imani Williams placing in the top 15.

      WT finished second with Erman Jepleting, Nikolina Hrelec, Kelly McCaskill, and Aubri Wrye leading the way.

      Brandi Stalder and Laura Alicke represented fourth-place A&M-C.  ASU’s Kelsey Warren and ENMU’s Mason Swanson rounded out the All-LSC list.

 
2017 LSC CROSS COUNTRY ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
MEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS
 

Place	Runner	Team	Year	Hometown
1	Owen Hind	West Texas A&M	SR	London, England
2	Michael Simcho	Tarleton State	SO	Southlake, Texas
3	Ryan Thomson	West Texas A&M	SR	Clydebank, Scotland
4	Jose Ventura IV	Texas A&M-Kingsville	SO	San Antonio, Texas
5	Briggs Wittlake	West Texas A&M	FR	Amarillo, Texas
6	Benedict Westhenry	West Texas A&M	SR	Weymouth, England
7	Laban Kandie	Angelo State	SO	Iten, Kenya
8	Geoffrey Kipchumba	West Texas A&M	SR	Kapsabet, Kenya
9	Justin Botello	Tarleton State	FR	Pflugerville, Texas
10	Jarred Elizondo	Tarleton State	SO	Bandera, Texas
11	Daniel Guerrero	Texas A&M-Kingsville	SO	Corpus Christi, Texas
12	Nicholas Wittkopp	UT Permian Basin	JR	Dove, Texas
13	Jesus Martinez	UT Permian Basin	SO	Crystal, Texas
14	Ruben Guerra	UT Permian Basin	SO	Midland, Texas
15	Omer Almog	Eastern New Mexico	JR	Israel

   
WOMEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE PERFORMERS
 

Place	Runner	Team	Year	Hometown
1	Kayleigh Jarrett	Midwestern State	FR	Lossiemouth, Scotland
2	Esmeralda Fuentes	Tarleton State	SO	Buda, Texas
3	Erman Jepleting	West Texas A&M	FR	Eldoret, Kenya
4	Kelsey Warren	Angelo State	SR	Hico, Texas
5	Brandi Stalder	Texas A&M-Commerce	SO	Sanger, Texas
6	Gretzel Jimenez	Tarleton State	SO	China Spring, Texas
7	Laura Alicke	Texas A&M-Commerce	FR	Bad Lausick, Germany
8	Nikolina Hrelec	West Texas A&M	SO	Zagreb, Croatia
9	Mason Swanson	Eastern New Mexico	SO	Albuquerque, New Mexico
10	Kelly McCaskill	West Texas A&M	SO	Fort Eustis, Virginia
11	Sara Smith	Midwestern State	JR	Dalhart, Texas
12	Aubri Wrye	West Texas A&M	FR	Estancia, New Mexico
13	Emily Ayers	Tarleton State	SO	Denton, Texas
14	Delaney Locke	Midwestern State	FR	Simi Valley, California
15	Imani Williams	Tarleton State	FR	Richmond, Texas

 
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Women’s Team Champion: Tarleton State
Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Amy Riera, Tarleton State
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Kayleigh Jarrett, Midwestern State
Women’s Coach of the Year: Pat Ponder, Tarleton State