NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Wednesday announced its 2022 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Awards for Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year.
The Men’s and Women’s Freshman of the Year honors go to the top-finishing freshman at the Sun Belt Conference Championships who is in their first year competing for their institution. Arkansas State’s Nati Enright claimed the Men’s Freshman of the Year honor, while Southern Miss’ Oliwia Wawryzniak captured the Women’s Freshman of the Year accolade. Enright placed seventh at the Sun Belt Championships in a time of 24:37.9 (8K). Wawryzniak was third at the Sun Belt Championships in a time of 16:42.2 (5K).
Louisiana senior Sophie Daigle earned the Women’s Newcomer of the Year honor, which was voted on by the league’s cross country coaches. Daigle became the second Louisiana women’s cross country runner to finish second overall at the SBC Cross Country Championships and posted the best individual finish by a Ragin' Cajuns women's runner in 19 years, while helping guide Louisiana to its best finish since 2017. Daigle clocked a time of 16.36.2 to finish second overall for Louisiana, joining Natalie Gillis (2003) in earning the highest individual by a Ragin' Cajuns runner at the SBC Championships. She had four top-10 finishes in five events during the season with victories at New Orleans and ULM, and placed 16th overall at the Arturo Barrios Invitational, covering the course in 20:59.3 to finish as the top SBC runner in the event.
Arkansas State sophomore Rylan Brown is the Men’s Newcomer of the Year. He helped Arkansas State repeat as Sun Belt Conference champions, finishing 12th en route to being named Third Team All-Sun Belt, finishing in 24:58.4. Brown was one of seven all-conference finishers for the A-State men.
Southern Miss’ Nick Gibson was named the Women’s Coach of the Year, as selected by his peers. In their first year in the conference, Gibson led the Golden Eagles to capture their first Sun Belt championship with 44 points at the meet. He coached two runners that finished in the top five and four in the top 15. He aided the Freshman of the Year in Wawrzyniak to a personal best finish in third and led the Golden Eagles to a No. 14 ranking in the South Region USTFCCCA rankings.
Arkansas State’s Jesse Duvall was selected as the Men’s Coach of the Year, as selected by his peers, for the second year in a row. He Coached Arkansas State to its second straight Sun Belt Conference championship. Under his guidance, the Red Wolves matched last season's winning points total (32. He helped tutor all seven runners to All-Sun Belt Conference finishes - five of which are freshmen and sophomores.
The Sun Belt announced the Men’s and Women’s Runners of the Year, which are awarded to the Sun Belt individual champions, at the championship meet. The Men’s Runner of the Year is South Alabama’s Kirami Yego for the second year in a row and the Women’s Runner of the Year is Coastal Carolina’s Molly Jones. Both Yego and Jones set new benchmarks for the conference with record times.
2022 Sun Belt Cross Country Awards
Men’s Runner of the Year: Kirami Yego, South Alabama
Women’s Runner of the Year: Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
Men’s Freshman of the Year: Nati Enright, Arkansas State
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Oliwia Wawrzyniak, Southern Miss
Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Rylan Brown, Arkansas State
Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Sophie Daigle, Louisiana
Men’s Coach of the Year: Jesse Duvall, Arkansas State
Women’s Coach of the Year: Nick Gibson, Southern Miss