Green Wave Dominates All-Louisiana Cross Country Honors
Dec 16, 2001 | Cross Country
Dec. 16, 2001
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University was honored with four of the six major awards for cross country by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Senior Solomon Kandie (Nairobi, Kenya) shared the Male Runner of the Year honor, freshman Erik Emilsson (Bjarred, Sweden) earned the Male Freshman of the Year Award, sophomore Eva Lustigova (Liberec, Czech Republic) was the Female Newcomer of the Year and head coach Ron Bazil was the Men's Coach of the Year.
In addition to those major honors, the three Wave runners were named to the All-Louisiana team along with teammates Anthony Lagat (Eldama-Ravine, Kenya) and Katrina Gemmell (Palmerston North, New Zealand).
Kandie shared the Male Runner of the Year honor with LSU's Likhya Dayile. The Green Wave senior earned All-District honors after finishing fifth at the NCAA South Central Regional with a time of 30:28, a school record for 10 kilometers. He also set a school record in the 8K after finishing second at the Conference USA Championship with a time of 23:22.4, which led Tulane to its first ever C-USA Men's Cross Country Championship.
Emilsson was another All-District honoree after finishing 20th at the NCAA South Central Regional with a time of 31:17 on the 10K course. The freshman also collected All-Conference USA recognition after finishing 11th at the league championship.
Lustigova won her first two races for the Wave and then finished ninth at the 241-runner Auburn Invitational with a time of 17:09.45 in the 5K course. After finishing second at the 6K LSU Invitational (21:51.13), she was expected to be a favorite at the Conference USA Championship. However, she was forced to withdraw due to injury. The injury also held her out of the District Championships.
Bazil, meanwhile, guided Tulane to its first-ever Conference USA Men's Cross Country Championship. He has now guided the Wave to 18 top three finishes in C-USA cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field championships in his seven years at the helm of the program.
Sita Waru from McNeese State was named the Female Runner of the Year, while Louisiana-Monroe head coach J. D. Malone was honored as the Women's Coach of the Year.
