Razorback Duo Earn SEC, USTFCCCA Honors
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced its 2019 cross country awards on Tuesday as voted on by the league’s head coaches, with Arkansas’ Taylor Werner and Lance Harter falling among those earning accolades.
The women’s recipients included the top-ranked Razorbacks’ Taylor Werner who was named the SEC Runner of the Year, while head coach Lance Harter earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor.
Werner finished runner-up in the women’s race with a time of 19:42.8. The senior from Ste. Genevieve, Mo. won multiple races this season, including the John McNichols Invite on the very same course they’ll race this weekend. Werner helped her team to their seventh straight SEC title in Lexington, Ky. two weeks ago.
For Harter, who guided the Razorbacks to their 20th SEC cross country crown, this is the 38th SEC Coach of the Year honor over the course of his Hall of Fame career for the Razorbacks.
2019 SEC Cross Country Awards
Women’s Runner of the Year: Taylor Werner, Arkansas
Women’s Freshman Runner of the Year: Skylar Boogerd, Ole Miss
Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Taylor Werner, Arkansas
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lance Harter, Arkansas
Werner and Harter doubled-up on the awards Tuesday afternoon, also capturing the same honors, respectively, in the South Central Region as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Werner won the regional title in 20:30.3. to go along with first-place finishes at the Chile Pepper Festival and the aforementioned John McNichols Invitational.
Harter’s squad put on a show at the South Central Regional in Fayetteville, making history as the Razorbacks, for the first time in program history, recorded a perfect score finishing 1-2-3-4-5 to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships.
NCAA DI Cross Country Regional Awards
Women’s Athlete Of The Year
Great Lakes Region — Alicia Monson — Wisconsin
Mid-Atlantic Region — Lydia Olivere — Villanova
Midwest Region — Cailie Logue — Iowa State
Mountain Region — Weini Kelati — New Mexico
Northeast Region — Hannah Reinhardt — Albany
South Region — Joyce Kimeli — Auburn
South Central Region — Taylor Werner — Arkansas
Southeast Region — Elly Henes — Nc State
West Region — Ella Donaghu — Stanford
Women’s Coach Of The Year
Great Lakes Region — Walt Drenth — Michigan State
Mid-Atlantic Region — John Gondak — Penn State
Midwest Region — Sarah Haveman — Illinois
Mountain Region — Diljeet Taylor — Byu
Northeast Region — Alex Gibby — Harvard
South Region — Kelly Phillips — Florida State
South Central Region — Lance Harter — Arkansas
Southeast Region — Laurie Henes — Nc State
West Region — J.J. Clark — Stanford
For more information on Arkansas Cross Country including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
