Big South Announces Men'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 Men’s Cross Country for the years 1984-89, 1990-99 and 2000-09. Men’s Cross Country became a Conference sport in 1984, and each team features 10 runners and one head coach. In case of ties, additional honorees have been added.
1980s MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Mike Abercrombie, Charleston Southern (2-time All-Conference)
Bob Carr, Coastal Carolina (2-time All-Conference)
Jay Curwen, UNC Asheville (2-time All-Conference)
Nathan Dowd, Charleston Southern (3-time All-Conference)
Al Dunn, Charleston Southern (Inaugural Big South Champion)
Ken Frenette, Campbell (2-time Big South Champion, 4-time All-Conference)
Richard Golden, Winthrop (2-time All-Conference)
Dwayne Stover, Radford (Big South Champion)
Stewart Uldrick, Charleston Southern (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Keelyn Wu, Radford (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Tyler Will, Radford (3 Championships [1985-86-87])
1990s MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Josh Cox, Liberty (2-time Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
John Decatur, Coastal Carolina (4-time All-Conference)
Tim Gautreau, UNC Asheville (3-time All-Conference)
Stephen Githuka, Liberty (3-time Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Jeff Greene, Winthrop (Big South Champion, Big South Hall of Fame member)
Merrill Hausenfluck, Radford (Big South Champion, 2-time All-Conference)
Bill Khan, Liberty (2-time Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Bruce Kite, Liberty (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
David Pitaro, Campbell (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Patrick Van Boden, (Charleston Southern 4-time All-Conference)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Brant Tolsma, Liberty (6 Championships [1991-92-94-97-98-99], 4-time Coach of the Year)
2000s MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-DECADE TEAM
Runner Name, School (Notes)
Sam Chelanga, Liberty (2-time National Champion, 3-time All-American, 3-time Big South Champion)
Jesse Cherry, High Point (3-time All-Conference)
Campbell Claridge, Coastal Carolina (4-time All-Conference)
Josh Edmonds, Liberty (4-time All-Conference)
Adam Growley, Winthrop (Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Jarvis Jelen, Liberty (3-time All-Conference)
Terah Kipchiris, Coastal Carolina (2-time Big South Champion, 3-time All-Conference)
Tamas Kovacs, High Point (3-time All-Conference)
Dawitt Legesse, Radford (3-time All-Conference)
Josh McDougal, Liberty (National Champion, 4-time All-American, 4-time Big South Champion)
Head Coach, School (Notes)
Brant Tolsma, Liberty (5 Championships [2005-06-07-08-09], 5-time Coach of the Year)
Men’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.