FRISCO, Texas - Lamar senior Francis Kasagule and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior Anne Ronoh were named the Southland Conference cross country athletes of the year by vote of the league's head coaches the conference office announced Wednesday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference teams and award winners.

Kasagule, a native of Gayhza, Uganda, ran a 23:54 in the 8-kilometer run setting a new championship record at the 2009 Southland Cross Country Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. Kasagule, who placed second in the 2007 and 2008 championships, is the sixth Lamar runner and second straight to win the men's event at the Southland championships. The win gives Lamar its fourth consecutive conference cross country title and league-leading ninth overall.

Ronoh, a native of Iten, Kenya, who took the runner-up honors in 2008, ran a 20:44 in the women's 6-kilometer run to become the first Islander runner to take first-place at the Southland cross country championships. Ronoh is the first Southland women's runner to win newcomer and athlete of the year in consecutive seasons. The win gives the Islanders its third consecutive conference championship joining UTSA (1991-93) and Lamar (2004-06) as the only teams to win three straight titles.

In addition to Kasagule's athlete of the year selection, Lamar took home conference freshman of the year honors for the second time in four years as Bob Abimbisibwe joins Kasagule who won the inaugural award in 2006. Lamar also claimed its fourth consecutive coach of the year award as Jake Stewart receives his first career accolade following three consecutive by former Lamar coach Sita Waru.  

Abimbisibwe, a native of Kampala, Uganda, led all freshman at the cross country championships with an eighth-place finish (24:24).

McNeese State junior Joshua Sawe is the first Cowboy named newcomer of the year. A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Sawe placed second at the Southland championships (24:06) to lead McNeese to a second-place finish, its best mark since 2002.

On the women's side, Samantha Walkow of Lamar was named freshman of the year and Pernilla Savestrand of UTSA was named newcomer of the year.

Walkow, a native of Surrey, Canada, led all freshman and was the top women's runner for Lamar at the Southland championships posting a 21:20 for fourth overall. Walkow was the lead runner for the Lady Cardinals in two of their three regular-season events with a sixth-place finish at LSU.

Savestrand followed teammates Kayla Pratt and Dana Mecke across the finish line to give UTSA three runners in the top seven at the Southland championships. A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, Savestrand ran a 21:34 for seventh place.

Stephen F. Austin coach Lou Snelling, a five-time coach of the year recipient with three men's selections (2003-05) and now two women's selections, was named the women's coach of the year for the second time in his career. The previous selection came in 2003.

The top-10 finishers in each race earned All-Southland Conference honors.

Individual Award Winners

Male Athlete of the Year - Francis Kasagule, Lamar
Female Athlete of the Year - Anne Ronoh, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Male Freshman of the Year - Bob Abimbisibwe, Lamar
Female Freshman of the Year - Samantha Walkow, Lamar
Male Newcomer of the Year - Joshua Sawe, McNeese State
Female Newcomer of the Year - Pernilla Savestrand, UTSA
Men's Coach of the Year - Jake Stewart, Lamar
Women's Coach of the Year - Lou Snelling, Stephen F. Austin

Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team

Women's Cross Country All-Conference Team