Big South Announces Women's Cross Country All-Decade Teams
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – As part of the Big South’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2013-14, the Conference is announcing its first-ever All-Decade Teams to recognize the student-athletes and coaches who excelled in their respective sport since the Conference’s founding in 1983. A committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Teams, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total.
Below are the All-Decade Teams for Women’s Cross Country for the years 1986-89, 1990-99 and 2000-09. Women’s Cross Country became a Conference sport in 1986, and each team features 10 runners and one head coach. In case of ties, additional honorees have been added.
1980s WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Susan Dixon, Charleston Southern (3-time All-Conference)
Danielle Fondale, Charleston Southern (2-time All-Conference)
Mitzi Hartwell, Radford (Big South Champion)
Denise Holliday, Winthrop (2-time All-Conference)
Darlene Johnson, Charleston Southern (2-time All-Conference)
Diana Naylor, Radford (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Angie Ogden, Radford (Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Shelley Tyler, Coastal Carolina (Big South Champion)
Sonja Vertacnik, Coastal Carolina (4-time All-Conference)
Kelly Webb, Coastal Carolina (3-time All-Conference)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Mick Stewart, Radford (2 Championships [1986-87])
1990s WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Kathy Beach, Davidson (Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Mandy Becker, UNC Asheville (3-time All-Conference)
Catherine Conder, Coastal Carolina (3-time Big South Champion, 4-time All-Conference, Big South Hall of Fame member)
Urlene Dick, Liberty (3-time All-Conference)
Beth Greene, Winthrop (3-time All-Conference)
Angela Murphy, Coastal Carolina (3-time All-Conference)
Lauri Occhipinti, Coastal Carolina (4-time All-Conference)
Valentine Stumpf, Coastal Carolina (Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Becky Vonderhaar, UNC Asheville (4-time All-Conference)
Jolene Williams, Coastal Carolina (3-time Big South Champion, 4-time All-Conference, Big South Hall of Fame member)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Stan Rosenthal, UNC Asheville (4 Championships [1994-95-98-99], 4-time Coach of the Year)
Alan Connie, Coastal Carolina (4 Championships [1993-95-96-97], 4-time Coach of the Year)
2000s WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Kali Burt, High Point (4-time All-Conference)
Dacia Bushman, Liberty (3-time All-Conference)
Hannah Granger, VMI (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Diana Jepchirchir, Coastal Carolina (All-American, Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Zsanett Kis, High Point (Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Anne Marie Moutsinga, Coastal Carolina (3-time Big South Champion, 4-time All-Conference)
Kim Nemergut, Coastal Carolina (4-time All-Conference)
Rebekah Ricksecker, Liberty (3-time All-Conference)
Heather Sagan, Liberty (2-time Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Julia Viellenhner, Coastal Carolina (All-American, Big South Champion)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Alan Connie, Coastal Carolina (6 Championships [2001-02-03-04-05-08], 6-time Coach of the Year)
Women’s Cross Country All-Decade Team candidates were determined based on being at least one of the following: 1) Was a multiple All-Conference honoree; 2) Was named an All-American; 3) Is a member of the Big South Conference Hall of Fame; 4) Student-athletes must be a college graduate or left their respective institution in good academic standing; 5) Won a Conference Championship as a coach and/or was voted Conference Coach of the Year; and 6) Players of the Year, Tournament MVPs and First-Team All-Conference honorees will be among the candidate pool for the 1983-89 All-Decade Teams. Candidates that participated in two different decades were placed in a specific decade based on consultation from member institutions. Member institutions also had final determination in regards to inclusion of student-athletes and coaches.
Founded August 21, 1983 by Charleston Southern (then Baptist College) Athletic Director Howard Bagwell and Augusta College President George Christenberry, the Big South Conference has matured into a competitive leader in college athletics while intentionally fostering the academic, personal, social, athletic and leadership development of its student-athletes. The League’s growing presence as an NCAA Division I athletic conference is evident by athletic accomplishments on the national stage, innovative marketing and media partnerships, increased television packages and quality athletic competition. . Comprised of 12 member institutions throughout the Southeast -- Campbell University, Charleston Southern University, Coastal Carolina University, Gardner-Webb University, High Point University, Liberty University, Longwood University, Presbyterian College, Radford University, UNC Asheville, Virginia Military Institute and Winthrop University -- the Big South Conference’s institutions have a remarkable history of achievement and continues to succeed on the field and in the classroom through the League’s 19 championship sports. The Big South Conference: Developing Leaders Through Athletics.