Former Gators Named Volunteer Assistant Coaches
Friday, August 1, 2008 | Cross Country
Former Gators Named Volunteer Assistant Coaches
Two former Florida runners, Lindsay Sundell and Steven Hassen, were added to the cross country staff, as they will serve as volunteer assistant coaches for the upcoming season.
Sundell, who is working to finish her advertising degree at Florida, had a four-year decorated career as a Gator. She ranks in the top four on six UF record lists, including the top spots for fastest 6K time on the UF Golf Course by a Gator and the fastest 6K NCAA South Regional time. The three-time All-South Regional runner also racked up eight top-10 finishes and earned All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2006.
The distance runner also holds the best time for the 3,000m steeplechase, seventh-best for the outdoor 5,000m event and ninth-best for the indoor 3,000m event. She was named to the All-SEC outdoor second team in 2008 and was on the SEC Academic Honor Roll all four years. This past summer she competed in the 3,000m steeplechase semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing 19th.
Hassen, who is enrolled in graduate school, placed in the top 10 five times as a Gator, including one first-place victory. He ranks sixth and seventh respectively in the Florida record books for his 8K and 10K times on the UF Golf Course. He was Florida's top finisher at the 2006 NCAA South Regional Championships and was named All-SEC the same year. His 5,000m time also ranks fifth in the indoor track record books.
Hassen earned All-South Regional three consecutive years and was on the SEC Academic Honor Roll every year he was a member of the Florida Gators. In 2006 and 2007, he also earned the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Award.
Assistant Coach Todd Morgan, who will be in charge of the cross country program, is excited for Sundell and Hassen to bring their successes on the course to the coaching side.
“Both Lindsay and Steve have been tremendous assets to this program as athletes and I feel fortunate that they want to continue to be a part of the Gators' success,” Morgan said. “One day they will both become excellent coaches, and I am thankful to be a part their beginnings. Their example and leadership will be a powerful addition to our staff this fall.”
The 2008 cross country season kicks off on September 20 with the annual Mountain Dew Invitational on Florida's Golf Course. The collegiate women's 5K begins at 8 a.m. while the men's 8K starts at 8:30 a.m.
