FRISCO — The Southland Conference, as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary commemoration, unveiled its all-time men's and women's cross country honor roll on Tuesday.
The list includes 65 student-athletes (45 men/20 women) that have impacted the sport since the league began sponsorship in 1964 (men) and 1985 (women). Each of the league's all-time men's and women's meet champions is included on the honor roll and eight men's and women's coaches also were recognized for their historic contributions to the sport.
"The Southland Conference has a rich tradition in cross country throughout our history and we’re pleased to recognize such an illustrious honor roll of great student-athletes and coaches," Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett said.
UTSA's representatives included Liza Hunter, Joanne Kineard, Dana Mecke and Stacy Poole on the women's side and David Hartman and Ryan Taylor for the men. Former Roadrunners head coach Shawn Flanagan, who now is in charge of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's cross country programs, also was honored.
Hunter raced to the 1992 league championship in leading UTSA to the team crown and she earned a berth in the 1992 NCAA Championships.
Kineard crossed the finish line first in 1991 in what was the Roadrunners' inaugural Southland meet and that propelled them to their first of three consecutive titles. She also was named the circuit's Athlete of the Year.
Mecke won the 2008 crown en route to being named the conference's Athlete of the Year.
Poole was the 1996 champion, as UTSA set a league record with 21 points. The league's Athlete of the Year also was an integral part of the Roadrunners' 19th-place team finish at the 1996 NCAA Championships, the only time an entire Southland squad has advanced to the national meet.
Hartman won the 1995 Southland Championship and was tabbed the conference's Athlete of the Year that season. He went on to participate at the 1995 NCAA Championships after helping lead the Roadrunners to the league crown.
Taylor captured the circuit's 1997 title en route to being named Athlete of the Year, as UTSA recorded its third consecutive conference championship. He went on to lead the Roadrunners to a 20th-place finish at the 1997 NCAA Championships with his 42nd-place performance.
Flanagan helped lead UTSA to seven team championships in his 11 seasons in the Alamo City. He earned a total of seven Coach of the Year honors (five women/two men) in leading the Roadrunners women to five Southland titles from 1991-93 and '94-95 and the men’s to back-to-back crowns in 1995 and '96.
Southland Conference 50th Anniversary All-Time Cross Country Honor Roll
Men
Maya Aden, Louisiana-Monroe
Randy Arias, Texas State
Herman Atkins, Arkansas State
Wayne Badgley, Abilene Christian
Jimmy Balmer, UT Arlington
Roger Barker, Louisiana Tech
Jason Buie, UT Arlington
Pedro Caceras, Lamar
Paul Chandler, Abilene Christian
Joel Chemwetich, UT Arlington
Cody Clark, Stephen F. Austin
Rafael Colemenares, Lamar
Larry Cuzzort, McNeese State
Nathan Flores, Stephen F. Austin
Dylan Fugitt, North Texas
Gerry Garcia, Lamar
Bob Giersbert, Arkansas State
Miguel Gonzales, Sam Houston State
Robert Gray, Arkansas State
David Hartman, UTSA
Matt Johnsen, Lamar
Bruce Johnson, Abilene Christian
Francis Kasagule, Lamar
Patrick Kimeli, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
David Kohrs, McNeese State
Samuel Kosgei, Lamar
Rodger Krueger, UT Arlington
Tom McGrath, McNeese State
Pat McSweeney, McNeese State
Ben Melly, UT Arlington
Dennis Moynihan, Texas State
Jonah Ngeny, North Texas
Tom Nolan, Louisiana-Lafayette
Pat O’Callaghan, McNeese State
Mike Plumb, Lamar
Michael Sang, Southeastern Louisiana
Joshua Sawe, McNeese State
Henrik Skoog, UT Arlington
Kevin Smelley, Nicholls State
Shadrack Songok, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Ryan Taylor, UTSA
Thomas Teger, UT Arlington
Michael Thompson, Stephen F. Austin
Steve Wilson, Arkansas State
Women
Rosita Astrom, Lamar
Becky Brooke, Lamar
Renee Graham, Lamar
Liza Hunter, UTSA
Joanne Kineard, UTSA
Clerc Koenck, Lamar
Emily Koenig, UT Arlington
Dana Mecke, UTSA
Ashley Monteau, Stephen F. Austin
Angela Nelson, UT Arlington
Stacy Poole, UTSA
Ana Rodriguez, Stephen F. Austin
Nicola Roff-Ratcliffe, Louisiana-Monroe
Anne Ronoh, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Frida Rosenberg, UT Arlington
Renee Rowell, Stephen F. Austin
Sarah Salmon, McNeese State
Lauren Smith, Stephen F. Austin
Janice Turner, Texas State
Sita Waru, McNeese State
Coaches
Bob Cole, Louisiana-Lafayette
Shawn Flanagan, UTSA/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Ken Garland, North Texas
Bob Hayes, McNeese State
Sonny Jolly, Lamar
Bill McClure, Abilene Christian
Lou Snelling, Stephen F. Austin
Sita Waru, Lamar