NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Wednesday announced its 2024 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Awards for Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Coach of the Year, Runner of the Year, Elite Award and the All-Conference Teams.
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. App State’s Bre Budzinski claimed the Women’s Freshman of the Year honor, while App State’s Henry Stark captured the Men’s Freshman of the Year accolade. Budzinski placed 16
th at the men’s championship in a time of 18:14.3 (5K). Stark finished seventh overall in 24:56.5 (8K).
App State senior Lauren Johnston earned Women’s Newcomer of the Year, which was voted on by the league’s cross country coaches. Johnston finished sixth with a 5K time of 17:43.92 and helped the Mountaineers score 45 points to clinch their first Sun Belt team title since 2018. Johnston’s 5K time is 0:05 seconds off her 5K season best of 17:39.8, which was set on Oct. 4 at Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Invitational.
South Alabama’s Sacha Perrier was named the Men’s Newcomer of the Year. Perrier led an outstanding 2024 campaign for the Jaguars, with podium finishes in three of his four meets this season. He claimed first place at the Azalea City Classic 5k competition to kick off the season, following that up with a second-place finish at the Georgia Tech XC Invitational. Perrier landed 24th at the 154-man field Crimson Classic. At the Sun Belt Championships, Perrier took third place with a time of 24:34.9 to lead South Alabama to a third-place team finish.
App State’s Annie Richards was named the Women’s Coach of the Year, as selected by her peers. Richards guided the women’s cross country team to its first Sun Belt team title since 2018 in her second year in her tenure. The Mountaineers scored 45 points, which was 61 fewer points than the runner-up team score. Four Mountaineers finished in the top-15 to collect all-conference honors.
App State’s Brad Herbster was selected as the Men’s Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Herbster led the App State men’s cross country team to its second consecutive Sun Belt Men’s Cross Country team title on Nov. 1. The Mountaineers recorded a team score of 30, which was two points more than last year’s total of 28 (the lowest total at the Sun Belt Championships since 2013). Six Mountaineers finished in the top-10 to collect all-conference honors. Herbster guided the Mountaineers to the team’s first back-to-back titles in the program’s Sun Belt era. He was also named the 2023 Sun Belt Coach of the Year after leading the program to the 2023 Sun Belt team title in his first season as App State’s men’s distance coach.
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 championships. The Men’s Runner of the Year is Arkansas State’s Jacob Pyeatt and the Women’s Runner of the Year is Marshall’s Kylee Mastin.
App State’s Chase Burrell was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Cross Country Elite Award Winner as Coastal Carolina’s Molly Jones was named the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Cross Country Elite Award Winner.
The SBC Elite Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the Sun Belt Conference Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The SBC Elite award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating on the final day for each of the Sun Belt Conference’s championships.
2024 Sun Belt Cross Country Awards
2024 Women’s Coach of the Year: Annie Richards, App State
2024 Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Lauren Johnston, App State
2024 Women’s Elite Award Winner: Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
2024 Women’s Runner of the Year: Kylee Mastin, Marshall
2024 Women’s Freshman of the Year: Bre Budzinski, App State
2024 Women’s First Team All-Conference
Jasmine Donohue, App State
Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina
Katherine Lawson, James Madison
Kylee Mastin, Marshall
Maria Kaylor, Southern Miss
2024 Women’s Second Team All-Conference
Lauren Johnston, App State
Emma Russum, App State
Isabelle Russell, Louisiana
Hannah Wyler, Marshall
Charleen Elizondo, South Alabama
2024 Women’s Third Team All-Conference
Lana Farris, App State
Maja Dzialoszewska, Arkansas State
Addison Laughlin, Coastal Carolina
Ella Segura, Louisiana
Abigail Parra, Texas State
2024 Men’s Coach of the Year: Brad Herbster, App State
2024 Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
2024 Men’s Elite Award Winner: Chase Burrell, App State
2024 Men’s Runner of the Year: Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
2024 Men's Freshman of the Year: Henry Stark, App State
2024 Men’s First Team All-Conference
Chase Burrell, App State
Ethan Lipham, App State
Nati Enright, Arkansas State
Jacob Pyeatt, Arkansas State
Sacha Perrier, South Alabama
2024 Men’s Second Team All-Conference
Ethan Turner, App State
Calbert Guest, App State
Henry Stark, App State
Thomas Wlazlowski, App State
Evan Stevens, Arkansas State
2024 Men’s Third Team All-Conference
Adam Groves, Coastal Carolina
Peyton Chiasson, Louisiana
Carson Barlow, South Alabama
Amos Pkemoi, South Alabama
Koket Jimata, Texas State