Kreutzer, Kiprop Named PBC Runners of the Year
MILLEDGEVILLE, GA -- Clayton State’s Allison Kreutzer and
Francis Marion’s Hillary Kiprop were named the PBC Runners of
the Year at a banquet in Milledgeville, site of the 2008 PBC
Championships. Augusta State’s Adam Ward was also recognized
as the women’s Coach of the Year while Clayton State’s
Mike Mead was the men’s Coach of the Year. This is the first
time that the runner of the year award has been presented prior to
the championship race and voted on by the league’s head
coaches. In prior years the award went to the winner of
Saturday’s race.
Kreutzer becomes only the fourth woman to earn the PBC Runner of
the Year award twice in her career. A senior from Lilburn, Ga.,
Kreutzer also received the award in 2004 as a freshman. Now a
senior and an All-American, she has turned in a remarkable season
in 2008, winning all five races that she ran in. A two-time
All-American, Kreutzer has been named the PBC Runner of the Week
four times this season and has the fastest 5k time in the
conference this year. Her five wins in one season is the first time
that has happened in the PBC since 1999 and gives her a
conference-record 14 wins in her career. With her win in 2004 and
Angela Cobb’s in 2006, Clayton State runners have captured
the women’s Runner of the Year title in three of the last
five years.
In contrast, Kiprop is the first Francis Marion runner to win the
male Runner of the Year award since David McIntosh in 1992. A
junior from Eldoret, Kenya, Kiprop has been FMU’s top
finisher in all five meets this fall. He captured the individual
title at both the Limestone Invitational and the Presbyterian
Collegiate Invitational; was the runner-up at both the PBC
Pre-Conference Meet (by one second) and the WU Pre-Conference Meet
(by 17 seconds); and placed 13th at the (NC State) Wolfpack
Invitational – although he was the first non D-1 finisher. He
has been named the Peach Belt Conference Runner of the Week three
times this year and has lost to only two Division II runners in the
five meets.
Adam Ward becomes only the second women’s coach to claim the
Coach of the Year award for three straight years. Prior to his
arrival at Augusta State in 2004, the Jaguars had finished last in
the PBC for three straight years, but after a third-place in 2006
and a second-place in 2007, Ward has the Jaguars in strong
contention for a championship this season. ASU has won three of
their five meets in 2008 and finished second at the PBC
Pre-Conference meet and 10th of 29 teams at the prostigious NCAA
Pre-National race in Pennsylvania. ASU is currently ranked second
in the southeast region.
Mike Mead wins his third PBC Coach of the Year award in his 14th
season as the Lakers head coach. After finishing second in the PBC
in 2007, Mead has the Lakers in position to win a championship this
year after winning the Wingate and Anderson Invitationals and
finishing second in their other three meets. Mead has assembled one
of the deepest teams in the PBC with both Fidelis Mutiso and
Anthony Aguilar winning individual titles this year and
2007’s Runner of the Year, Walid Berkhedle, back for his
sophomore season. Clayton State is currently ranked second in the
southeast region, the highest-ranked conference school.
The 2008 PBC Championships will be run on Saturday, Oct. 25, on
the West Campus Course at Georgia College & State University in
Milledgeville, Ga. The men’s race begins at 9:00 am with the
women at 9:45.
PBC Award Winners on Friday night (L to R) Clayton State head coach Mike Mead; FMU's Hillary Kiprop, Clayton State's Allison Kreutzer, Augusta State head coach Adam Ward.