Dirksen Announces Cross Country Award Winners

Lincoln ? Head Coach Jay Dirksen has announced the Husker cross country award winners and letterwinners for the 2008 season. Each year Dirksen selects a most valuable runner and a most improved runner on the men’s and women’s squad. Sophomore Lara Crofford and redshirt freshman David Adams were selected as the most valuable runners while senior Jen Pancoast and sophomore Brad Doering were picked as most the most improved runners.

For the second straight year Crofford was chosen as the most valuable runner on the women’s squad. The Newville, Pa., native earned the honor as a freshman after being the only Husker on the men’s or women’s side to receive a bid to the NCAA Championships. In 2008, Crofford led the women’s team at every meet, including individual victories at the BYU Autumn Classic and the South Dakota State Classic. Crofford was a repeat All-Big 12 and NCAA Midwest Region performer in 2008, becoming only the second runner in the Big 12 era at Nebraska to earn All-Big 12 honors twice, joining teammate Ari Goldstein. Crofford’s sixth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships tied for the highest NU finish at the meet on the women’s side in Big 12 history, tying Amy Wiseman from 1997, while her seventh-place finish at the NCAA Regional was tops since 2003, when Ann Gaffigan finished runner-up. Led by Crofford, the women’s squad reached the NCAA Championships, the team’s first trip to the meet since 2003. The Big Red finished 25th at the national meet, its highest finish since 1999, while Crofford came in 45th, a 40-place jump from 2007 when she finished 85th.

On the men’s side Adams earned most valuable runner honors after leading the team at six of seven meets, including an individual and team title to open the year at the Creighton/UNO Classic. Adams also led the men’s team to team titles at the Woody Greeno Nebraska Invitational and the South Dakota State Classic with eighth- and fourth-place individual finishes, respectively. A native of York, Neb., Adams redshirted in 2007 while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot that he suffered during the 2007 high school track and field season. Adams gained momentum for the 2008 cross country season during the 2008 outdoor track and field season when he became a solid steeplechaser for the Huskers, earning a fifth-place medal at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships and a trip to the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Pancoast was the pick for most improved runner after cutting time at three of four meets she ran in 2007 and 2008. Her biggest improvement came when it mattered most as she jumped 62 spots at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, improving from 130th in 2007 to 68th in 2008, helping the women’s team to a ninth-place finish. Pancoast then moved up eight spots at the Big 12 Championships and 22 spots at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing 24th and 23rd, respectively. Her 23rd-place finish at the regional meet secured her All-Midwest Regional honors, giving the Huskers four All-Midwest Regional runners, tying the 2003 squad for the most in the regional era. She went on to finish 132nd at the NCAA Championships.

Doering was chosen as the most improved runner on the men’s side after showing dramatic improvement from his freshman to sophomore season. Doering opened the season by moving up four spots at the Creighton/UNO Classic to finish ninth individually, helping the men to a first-place team finish. He followed with a 29th-place finish at the Woody Greeno Nebraska Invitational, a jump of 29 spots from 2007 to assist the men’s team in securing its third straight team title at the meet. Doering ended the year with his first trip to the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional. He finished 46th at the conference meet, fourth among Husker runners, but was unable to finish the regional meet due to a foot injury he suffered during the race.

2008 Cross Country Letterwinners
Women
Natalja Callahan, Sr. ? Valmiera, Latvia (4th Letter)
Rachel Carrizales, Jr. ? Morrill, Neb. (2nd Letter)
Lara Crofford, So. ? Newville, Pa. (2nd Letter)
Erica Hamik, Fr. ? Kearney, Neb. (1st Letter)
Ashley Miller, RFr. ? Tipton, Iowa (1st Letter)
Betsy Miller, Sr. ? Lodgepole, Neb. (3rd Letter)
Jen Pancoast, Sr. ? Cape Girardeau, Mo. (3rd Letter)
Jen Webers, So. ? Conifer, Colo. (2nd Letter)
Katie White, Fr. ? Broken Bow, Neb. (1st Letter)

Men
David Adams, RFr. ? York, Neb. (1st Letter)
Jesse Adams, Fr. ? Ogallala, Neb. (1st Letter)
Brad Doering, So. ? Yuba City, Calif. (1st Letter)
Peter Falcon, So. ? Omaha, Neb. (2nd Letter)
Anthony Oberle, RFr. ? Sioux City, Iowa (1st Letter)
Bryce Somer, Jr. ? Yankton, S.D. (1st Letter)
Mikel Thomas, So. ? Clovis, Calif. (2nd Letter)