Women's Cross Country Wins SEC Championships; Men Place Fourth

Saturday, October 31

Oxford, MS

11:00 AM

Florida Gators

SEC Championship

Women's Cross Country Wins SEC Championships; Men Place Fourth

Saturday, October 31, 2009 | Cross Country

The No. 5 University of Florida women's cross country team won the Southeastern Conference Championship meet, placing all five scoring runners in the top 10 as redshirt sophomore Rebecca Lowe (Vauclose, Australia) took first place. It marked the Gator women's first conference title since 1997, fourth overall, and the first individual champion since Becki Wells won back-to-back titles in 1995-96.

The Gator women earned 24 points, the best total in UF history. Tennessee came in behind Florida with 80 points, while Arkansas finished third with 87 points. The Gator men finished fourth, led by senior Justin Taylor (St. Augustine, Fla.), who earned second-team All-SEC honors with a 10^th-place finish. Alabama took first place with 56 points, while Arkansas came in second (61) and Auburn in third (86). The Gators recorded 120 points.

“I am extremely proud of Coach Morgan and the job the women's team did today bringing home the SEC Championship,” Head track & field and cross country coach Mike Holloway said. “The men put forth a great effort and there is some work we can do. Coach Morgan did a great job working with both teams and getting them to where they are at today.”

Lowe took the title in a time of 20:57.35, the 10th-best SEC Championship time in UF history. Junior Charlotte Browning (Pulborough, England) was right behind her, finishing second in 21:02.48.

“Everyone at the meet gave it their best shot and our women ran tremendously,” Cross country coach Todd Morgan said. “They had a great performance and a highlight was Rebecca and Charlotte coming in first and second. They worked well together throughout the whole meet and really pushed each other.”

Lowe became the fourth Gator to win the SEC individual cross country title and take home the fifth overall first-place win for the program. It also marked the first time she has won a race in the Blue and Orange uniform.

“It was really great to see Rebecca succeed,” Morgan said. “She has faced a lot of adversity in the last two years – recovering from an injury and sitting out last year. She never lost her focus or determination to win. She is a big-time talent and she really showed it today.”

“This title means a lot to us,” Lowe said. “It's been a long time coming for the Gators and we are proud to bring a championship back to Gainesville. It was also a step forward for us as we look toward Regionals and Nationals. For me, it also means a lot to win the individual title. I was out for so long and I worked each day to get back. Every week, I got more and more confident this season and it was really exciting to win after a rehabbing for year. It's so amazing to win both the individual and team titles today.”

Senior Stacey Johnson (Lichfield, England) came in fifth (21:18.79), followed by sophomore Genevieve LaCaze (Daisy Hill, Australia) in seventh (21:33.25). Senior Julie Northrup (Vero Beach, Fla.) finished the Gators scoring in ninth (21:36.55), giving Florida five top-10 finishers and five All-SEC honorees (Lowe, Browning, Johnson and LaCaze named to the first team and Northrup the second team.).

“Stacey and Genevieve also worked well together throughout the race,” Morgan said. “Stacey had a bit of a setback at the beginning, but she got back in it and turned in a solid run. It was great for Julie Northrup to also earn All-SEC for the first time in such great fashion. She has been working hard and it started to show in the last few meets; she had a great run.”

Although the rest of the Gator women did not score, they turned in stellar performances as junior Laura Garrow (Port Orange, Fla.) finished 21^st in a personal-best 6K time of 22:19.76. Classmate Ali Crabb (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was next in 24^th (22:25.12) while freshman Sydney Devore (Lakeland, Fla.) finished 37^th in 22:45.81 in her first-ever 6K race. She was the seventh freshman to cross the finish line, earning an SEC All-Freshman Team bid. Junior Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.) came in 39^th in 22:53.26 while freshman Mandy Perkins (Ormond Beach, Fla.) finished her first 6K race in 23:29.73 for a 60^th-place finish.

On the men's side, Taylor earned his fourth top-10 finish and his first All-SEC honor as he placed 10^th in 25:05.72. Junior Anthony Morales (Palm Coast, Fla.) just missed a top-14 finish to earn his first SEC honors as he placed 15^th in 25:17.03. Classmate James Uthmeier (Destin, Fla.) was the third Gator to cross the finish line, in 24^th place (25:49.85), while senior Aaron Kindt (Orlando, Fla.) finished 35^th (26:07.84). Senior Matt Hensley (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) came in right behind his classmate in 36^th in 26:15.72, rounding out the Gators' scoring.

“I am very proud of the men,” Morgan said. “They stayed focused and gave it everything they had. They faced a lot of obstacles this season and they never used them as excuses to not accomplish their goals. They ran a good race today.”

Sophomore Michael Anderson (Williston, Fla.) recorded a 40^th-place finish (26:23.15) and freshman Derek Wehunt (Odessa, Fla.) earned a 58^th-place finish (27:20.40) in his first conference meet.

The Gator men were picked to finish fourth in the SEC title race by coaches in the preseason poll and the women were chosen to win as both teams fulfilled the coaches' predictions.

Florida has a week off before the Gators head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the NCAA South Region Championships. A first or second-place finish earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

Women's SEC Championship Team Results

Team	Points
*1. FLORIDA*	24
2. Tennessee	80
3. Arkansas	87
4. Georgia	118
5. Alabama	141
6. Vanderbilt	142
7. Auburn	151
8. Kentucky	175
9. South Carolina	246
10. Mississippi State	276
11. LSU	335
12. Ole Miss	338

Women's SEC Individual Champion

Rebecca Lowe

Florida

20:57.35

Florida Women Finishers

1. Rebecca Lowe	20:57.35^
2. Charlotte Browning	21:02.48^
5. Stacey Johnson	21:18.79^
7. Genevieve LaCaze	21:33.25^
9. Julie Northrup	21:36.55#
21. Laura Garrow	22:19.76*
24. Ali Crabb	22:25.12
37. Sydney Devore	22:45.81*%
39. Kaitlin Shiver	22:53.26
60. Mandy Perkins	23:29.73*
^ - 1st-team All-SEC # - 2nd-team All-SEC	* - personal-best time % - SEC All-Freshman Team

Men's SEC Championship Team Results

Team	Points
1. Alabama	56
2. Arkansas	61
3. Auburn	86
*4. FLORIDA*	*120*
5. Georgia	133
6. Tennessee	142
7. Kentucky	152
8. Mississippi State	220
9. Ole Miss	249
10. Vanderbilt	282
11. LSU	321

Men's SEC Individual Champion

Barnabas Kirui

Ole Miss

24:24.75

Florida Men Finishers

10. Justin Taylor	25:05.72#
15. Anthony Morales	25:17.03
24. James Uthmeier	25:49.85
35. Aaron Kindt	26:07.84
36. Matt Hensley	26:15.72
40. Michael Anderson	26:23.15
58. Derek Wehunt	27:20.40
# - 2nd-team All-SEC