Crofford Earns All-Big 12 Honors at Big 12 Championships

Stillwater, Okla. - The Nebraska cross country team took to the OSU Cross Country Course Saturday morning for the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Lara Crofford's 10th-place finish (in 20:37.89) led the Husker women to a eighth-place finish in a 6K race, and David Adams' 20th-place finish (in 25:03.95) led the men to a sixth-place finish in an 8K race.

For the men, Adams' finish is the best for a Husker since James Bowler placed 19th in 2002. The Huskers placed five of their seven runners in the top 50. Newcomers Jarren Heng and Anthony Pittman placed 58th and 59th respectively. Adams was joined in the top 50 by Jesse Adams, who finished 40th with a time of 25:29.19. Todd Gulizia (43rd), Trevor Vidlak (44th) and Anthony Oberle (47th) also finished in the top 50.  As a team, the Huskers finished in the top 10 for the fourth straight year, after placing seventh last season.
 
As a team, the Husker women have finished in the top 10 at the past eight conference meets dating back to 2003. Overall, the Huskers put two runners in the top 25. After Crofford, newcomer Martina Barinova finished 21st with a time of 21:03.23, while Jessica Furlan and Erica Hamik finished 59th and 63rd, respectively.
 
Following back-to-back All-Big 12 performances in her first two years at NU, Crofford missed out on earning All-Big 12 honors in 2009 when she placed 16th. 2010 marks the first time a Husker has earned three All-Big 12 honors in his or her career.
 
The Huskers will now have a two-week break before they head to Illinois for the NCAA Midwest Regional, hosted by Bradley University in Peoria. A top-two finish at the meet guarantees a trip to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 22. There are also at-large selections to the national meet.