Frontier Conference commissioner Kent Paulson officially announced the league's cross country award winners on Friday. Lewis-Clark State College’s Mike Collins was named the Men’s Coach of the Year, Jimmy Oribo claimed the Men’s Runner of the Year Award, and eight Warriors were named to the all-conference teams.
These awards were actually determined a week ago as the honors are based on the results of the conference championships, held last Friday in Billings, Mont. The individual medalists earn Runner of the Year awards and the coach of the winning team claims the Coach of the Year Award.
Collins, now in his 15th season at the helm, led the Warrior men to their fifth straight conference title this year. His team was ranked No. 7 in the final regular-season NAIA poll, and will look to make a push at the national meet held in Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 19.
Oribo, a junior from Kampala, Uganda, ran away with the men’s title as he finished the 8-kilometer course in 25:16, more than 15 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
The top ten finishers at the championship meets comprise the men’s and women’s all-conference squads.
Joining Oribo on the men’s all-conference team were teammates Sam Atkin (who finished third), Cody Glad (fourth), Cody Larson (seventh), and Dave Marks (ninth).
On the women’s side, three Warriors earned a spot on the all-conference team including Sophie Bush (second), Chelsey Leighton (third), and Amanda Palmer (eighth).
Carroll College head coach Matt Morris was named the women’s Coach of the Year, and Carroll’s Rhianna Grossman, a sophomore from Couer d’Alene, Idaho, was named the female Runner of the Year.
The complete list of all-conference team members is listed below, in the order they finished at the championship meet.
2011 Men’s Cross Country All-Conference
Jimmy Oribo, Jr, Lewis-Clark State College; Kampala, Uganda
Cesar Mireles, Sr, Rocky Mountain College; Bakersfield, Calif.
Sam Atkin, Fr, Lewis-Clark State College; Lincolnshire, England
Cody Glad, Fr, Lewis-Clark State College; Kearns, Utah
Shane Donaldson, Sr, University of Great Falls; Thompson Falls, Mont.
Rigoberto Jimenez, Sr, University of Great Falls; Royal City, Wash.
Cody Larson, Fr, Lewis-Clark State College; Boise, Idaho
Noah Kiprono, Jr, Rocky Mountain College; Nairobi, Kenya
Dave Marks, Jr, Lewis-Clark State College; Lake Oswego, Ore.
Oliver Lange, So, Westminster College; Pleasanton, Calif.
2011 Women’s Cross Country All-Conference
Rhianna Grossman, So, Carroll College; Couer d’Alene, Idaho
Sophie Bush, Fr, Lewis-Clark State College; Newport, Wash.
Chelsey Leighton, Jr, Lewis-Clark State College; Lapwai, Idaho
Jamie Greene, Sr, Carroll College; Sandy, Utah
Katie Gilboy, Sr, Carroll College; Helena, Mont.
Megan Beam, So, Rocky Mountain College; Billings, Mont.
Mackenzie O’Dore, Fr, Rocky Mountain College; Joliet, Mont.
Amanda Palmer, Jr, Lewis-Clark State College; Weiser, Idaho
Allie Reynolds, Fr, Carroll College; Seattle, Wash.
Shannah Burke, Jr, Carroll College; Frenchtown, Mont.
