Four Runners Receive All-America from USTFCCA; Middlebury's Aldrich Earns National Women's Coach of the Year
Courtesy USTFCCCA
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has announced All-America honors for the 2010 season, with four individuals from the NESCAC receiving recognition. Overall finish at the NCAA Championships is the determining factor as the top 35 individuals from both men’s and women’s races earn All-America plaudits from the USTFCCCA. In addition, Middlebury head coach Terry Aldrich claimed women's cross country coach of the year following the Panthers' NCAA championship victory.
On the men's side, Hamilton senior Peter Kosgei was the only runner from the NESCAC honored as All-America. Kosgei finished sixth out of 279 runners at the NCAA cross country championships hosted by Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, on Nov. 20 with a time of 24:31.2. It is the third time that the four-time NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer has been recognized as All-America, as he was the national runner-up in 2007 before winning the individual crown in 2008.
For the women, NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer Jennifer Gossels garnered All-America honors for the first time. The Williams sophomore was the national runner-up at this year's NCAA championships, completing the 6-kilometer course in a time of 21:00.8, 13 seconds behind the winner. Also earning All-America for the first time in their careers were Amherst sophomore Ali Simeone and Bowdoin first year Carolyn Baskir. Simeone was 12th out of 279 runners with a time of 21:28.7, while Baskir placed 26th (21:40.3).
Having announced his retirement earlier in the year, Middlebury’s Aldrich had a way of making a fond farewell to the coaching ranks by leading his team to another national team title. For the Panthers, their hard-fought eight-point victory over Washington (Mo.) brought the squad their sixth NCAA Division III title in women’s cross country. All of those six titles have come in a span of 11 years with crowns in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, and, now, 2010.
Middlebury's success at this year's championships stemmed from a top five crew that finished within 26 seconds of each other. Despite the team's top runner finishing 40th overall, freshman Collete Whitney was responsible for just 24 place points and was followed closely by sophomore Addie Tousley who added 29 place points.
Earlier in the fall, Middlebury would win a third-straight NCAA New England region title with a 33-point victory over Williams after placing all five in the race's top 20. Middlebury also won their third-straight and 11th overall NESCAC title this season.
Aldrich was also honored this fall as the NESCAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year. He previously received recognition as the conference’s women’s coach of the year in 2000, 2001, 2008, and 2009. Aldrich was also recognized by his peers as the men's coach of the year, the first time he has ever been honored. The Panthers won the NESCAC men's trophy for the first time in the 28-year history of the event.
