NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Tuesday announced its 2025 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 are in their first year competing for their institution. App State’s Tessa Massa claimed the Women’s Freshman of the Year honor, while App State’s Noah Martinson captured the Men’s Freshman of the Year accolade. Massa placed 11th at the women’s championship in a time of 17:39.9 (5K). Martinson finished fifth overall in 24:09.7 (8K).
The Men’s and Women’s Newcomer of the Year honors go to the top-finishing newcomer at the Sun Belt Conference Championships who are in their first year competing for their institution, after competing at a previous institution. James Madison’s Taylor Myers claimed the Women’s Newcomer of the Year honors, while ULM’s Kgaogelo Moloisi captured the Men’s Newcomer of the Year accolade. Myers placed 19th at the women’s championship in a time of 17:53 (5K). Moloisi finished second overall in 24:04.6 (8K).
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 Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo and the Women’s Runner of the Year is Texas State’s Abigail Parra.
App State’s Henry Stark was named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Cross Country Elite Award Winner as Louisiana’s Ella Segura was named the 2025 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.
App State’s Annie Richards was named the Women’s Coach of the Year, as selected by her peers for the second consecutive season. Richards led the App State women to a Sun Belt Women’s Cross Country team title on Oct. 31 for the second year in a row. Richards, who was also named the 2024 SBC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, guided a young Mountaineer squad to a first-place team finish with 77 points, besting the second-place total by 11 points. Freshman Tessa Massa set pace for the Mountaineers and collected Sun Belt Women’s Freshman of the Year honors after placing 11th with a 5K personal best of 17:39.90. All five of App State’s scorers collected All-Sun Belt honors for their performances, each clocking personal bests. In addition to the women’s team title, the App State men also secured the men’s team title, as App State became the second program in Sun Belt history to sweep both team titles in back-to-back years.
App State’s Brad Herbster was selected as the Men’s Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. For a third consecutive year, Herbster led the App State men to a Sun Belt Men’s Cross Country team title on Oct. 31. He guided the Mountaineers to a first-place finish with 32 points, marking the third widest margin of victory at the conference championship meet. Sophomore Henry Stark set pace for the Mountaineers, finishing fourth with a personal best 8K time of 24:07.41 and earning the SBC Men’s Elite Award for his performance. Stopping the clock at 24:09.71 for a personal best of his own and a fifth-place finish, freshman Noah Martinson earned SBC Men’s Freshman of the Year honors. All five of App State’s scorers finished in the top nine and all eight Mountaineers collected All-SBC honors for their performances. In addition to the men’s team title, the App State women also secured the women’s team title, as App State became the second program in Sun Belt history to sweep both team titles in back-to-back years.
2025 Sun Belt Cross Country Awards
2025 Women’s Coach of the Year: Annie Richards, App State
2025 Women’s Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Myers, James Madison
2025 Women’s Elite Award Winner: Ella Segura, Louisiana
2025 Women’s Runner of the Year: Abigail Parra, Texas State
2025 Women’s Freshman of the Year: Tessa Massa, App State
2025 Women’s First Team All-Conference
Abigail Parra, Texas State
Alexia Macias, Texas State
Charleen Elizondo, South Alabama
Isabelle Russell, Louisiana
Ella Segura, Louisiana
Emme Bates, Southern Miss
Hannah Wyler, Marshall
2025 Women’s Second Team All-Conference
Addison Laughlin, Coastal Carolina
Erika Krueger, Arkansas State
Sidney Walters, James Madison
Tessa Massa, App State
Cadence Lapp, Southern Miss
Nyomi Garcia, Texas State
Josie Jackson, App State
2025 Women’s Third Team All-Conference
Savannah Moore, App State
Chloe Crowell, Louisiana
Bre Budzinski, App State
Mary Beth Bailey, Arkansas State
Taylor Myers, James Madison
Elizabeth McCart, App State
Lexi Cooper, Southern Miss
2025 Men’s Coach of the Year: Brad Herbster, App State
2025 Men’s Newcomer of the Year: Kgaogelo Moloisi, ULM
2025 Men’s Elite Award Winner: Henry Stark, App State
2025 Men’s Runner of the Year: Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo, Arkansas State
2025 Men's Freshman of the Year: Noah Martinson, App State
2025 Men’s First Team All-Conference
Carlo Martinez-Jaramillo, Arkansas State
Kgaogelo Moloisi, ULM
Henry Lyon, Louisiana
Henry Stark, App State
Noah Martinson, App State
Tate Shore, App State
Henok Hagos, Texas State
2025 Men’s Second Team All-Conference
Thomas Wlazlowski, App State
Ethan Lipham, App State
Xavier Johnson, South Alabama
Justin Lipscomb, Marshall
Memphis Rich, App State
Noah Herrera, Arkansas State
Joe Edwards, Arkansas State
2025 Men’s Third Team All-Conference
Brady Dawkins, Marshall
Anthony Parra, Texas State
Aaron Kidd, App State
Chase Burrell, App State
Joshua Gill, ULM
Matthew Maynard, Louisiana
Juwan Blignaut, ULM