TicketsMay 21, 2007
CINCINNATI -- The University of Cincinnati cross country and track and field teams handed out postseason awards on Sunday (May 20) at the annual awards banquet in Fifth Third Arena. Megan Knapp, John Dixon, Renee Hein, Ashley Wilhelm and Bob Kandell earned top honors, capturing the women's cross country, men's cross country, women's indoor, women's outdoor and men's outdoor Most Valuable Performer honors, respectively.
Knapp and were the top harriers for the cross country teams in the fall, finishing 54th and 39th, respectively, in the BIG EAST Championships. Hein won both the indoor and outdoor BIG EAST high jump titles and was named the Most Outstanding female field performer at the Indoor Championships. Wilhelm set three school records this season and automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon. Hein and Wilhelm are the first female track and field student-athletes in UC history to meet NCAA automatic qualifiers. Kandell scored in three events at the BIG EAST Championships, finishing sixth in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay and seventh in the 200 meters.
Tara Meier, Brittany Klima and Ian Jarman earned Most Outstanding honors for women's indoor, women's outdoor and men's outdoor track, respectively. Meier won the BIG EAST Indoor pole vault title, while Klima followed by capturing the BIG EAST Outdoor crown in the same event. Ian Jarman finished third in the hammer throw, while qualifying for the Mideast Regional Championships.
Ashley Arnold and Jasmine Cotten earned women's top freshman honors, while Dayo Igeleke captured the men's freshman of the year award.
"The year usually comes to a close with the annual banquet," said head men's coach Bill Schnier. "But this year, we have so many athletes qualified for the regionals, we are far from done."
"I feel like we've really turned the corner as a program," head women's coach Jim Schnur commented. "I think this year's team is the best we've ever had at UC and the program is steadily on the rise."
The Bearcats will compete in nine events at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships on May 25-26. Hein (high jump), Monica Hundley (100 hurdles), Klima (pole vault), and Wilhelm (long jump) will represent the women's team in Columbia, Mo., while Igeleke (200 meters), Jarman (hammer), Kandell (400 meters), Troy Lammers (400 hurdles), Kevin Schwarz (3,000 steeple) and the 4x100 team of Igeleke, Isaac Hendricks, Kandell, Justin Conway will represent the men's team.
Men's Awards
Best Teammate Track & Field Andrew Smith
Most Improved Track & Field Lammers
Best Freshman Track & Field Dayo Igeleke
Most Outstanding Track & Field Ian Jarman
Bearcat Award Track & Field Kevin Schwarz
Most Valuable Cross Country John Dixon
Most Valuable Outdoor Track & Field Bob Kandell
Women's Awards
Best Teammate Track & Field Danielle Erwin
Most Improved Track & Field Courtney Wicks
Best Freshman Indoor Track Ashley Arnold
Best Freshman Outdoor Track & Field Jasmine Cotten
Most Outstanding Indoor Track & Field Tara Meier
Most Outstanding Outdoor Track & Field Brittany Klima
Bearcat Award Track & Field Monica Hundley
Most Valuable Cross Country Megan Knapp
Most Valuable Indoor Track & Field Renee Hein
Most Valuable Outdoor Track & Field Ashley Wilhelm