ROCK HILL, SC -- The women's 2001 Big South Conference cross country championship was claimed by Coastal Carolina University Saturday morning at the Winthrop Lake Course.
Coastal Carolina's women won its seventh Big South title in the 17-year history of the event as the Lady Chanticleers placed five runners in the top 10. CCU was led by Kara Koppel who finished fourth with a time of 17:53 over the 5K distance. She and the four other Coastal runners earned All-Conference honors for finishing in the top 10. They included Kim Nemergut (6th); Lindsey Kozlowski (7th);Robyn Ritter (9th); and Natasha Elliott (10th).
Following Coastal was Liberty with 56 points, UNC Asheville finished third (79). Charleston Southern (94) grabbed the fourth spot followed by Winthrop (153), Elon (158), High Point (159) and Radford (161).
The Phoenix were led by Kari Burger (21st) with a time of 19:22. Grace Bell placed 24th (19:27), Emily Birmingham 35th (20:13), Becky Weaver 38th (20:30) and Sarah McLellan 40th (20:48).
Heather Sagan, a senior from Liberty, captured her second straight Big South Conference Runner of the Year award as she finished with a winning time of 17:38. The remaining members of the women's 2001 All-Conference team included Meghan McLaughlin, Radford (2nd); Samantha Pelletier, Liberty (3rd); Jennifer de Vaux, Winthrop (6th); and Lindsay MacPherson, Charleston Southern (8th).
Pelletier was honored as the 2001 Big South Rookie of the Year for her third place finish in a time of 17:51. Coastal Carolina women's head coach Alan Connie was voted by his peers as the 2001 Coach of the Year. It was his fifth such award in the last 12 years.
The 2001 women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year was received by Coastal Carolina's Koppel, a junior with a 4.0 grade point average. She was joined on the Big South All-Academic Team by Kim Andrews, Birmingham-Southern; Jen Gratton, Charleston Southern; Erin Wallace, Elon; Jessica Healan, High Point; Heather Sagan, Liberty; Micki Logue, UNC Asheville; Heide Harrison, Radford; and Jenny de Vaux, Winthrop.
