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SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco cross country and track and field teams gathered to celebrate a historic 2010 season at the program's year-end banquet at Hotel Kabuki on Thursday night.
During the past year, the Dons broke 11 school records in track and field, sent its first athlete to the NCAA Championship meet, won a second-consecutive women's cross county title and had two freshmen runners break school records in the 6k and 8k twice.
After welcome speeches from associate athletic director Eric Dumbleton and David F. Macmillan, vice-president of university advancement, 2008 Olympian Shannon Rowbury shared her story of inspiration and hope with the group. The decorated middle distance runner told the athletes that some her biggest successes were born from some of her lowest moments.
Sophomore Eva Krchova was named the Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year after setting school records in the 800m, 3,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. Krchova capped off a stellar season by racing in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. in mid-June.
Thrower Oliver Kirkeby, a senior, earned the distinction of Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Kirkeby broke long-standing records in both the discus and shot put.
After a record-setting freshman season, Jana Stolting earned the Female Cross Country Runner of the Year award. Stolting was a first-team All-West Coast Conference selection and WCC Female Freshman of the Year, in addition to setting a new school record in the 6k and then going on to break it again later in the season. Her 15th-place finish at the NCAA Western Regionals was the best-ever in program history.
Classmate Jose Madera claimed the honor of the Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year after another impressive season by a young runner. Madera was just two second slow of winning a WCC title, but was named first-team All-WCC and Male Freshman of the Year. Like Stolting, Madera set a school record in the 8k and then broke it again later in the season.
Junior Jeremy Grace earned his second-consecutive Scholar Athlete Award for the program. Grace currently has a 3.97 GPA and is an English major.
A total of 10 USF runners earned WCC honors during the fall cross country season including, Sophie Curl, Maor Tiyouri, Ganbileg Bor, Chole Treleven, Steven Garboden, Will Marquart, Krchova, Stoling, Madera and Grace.
The athletes weren't the only people honored by the WCC — head coach Helen Lehman-Winters was also named the Men and Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
The coaching staff also recognized 12 athletes that are close to finishing their time at USF or did after the 2010 track and field season: Ravi Amarawansa, Riley Booker, Derek DeSantiago, Colin Hopkins, Devin Hopkins, Joshua Horeled, Kirkeby, Carly Holman, Alice Hobbs, Arianna Edwards, Alex McIntosh and Alex Nelson.
