Nov. 12, 2012

TUCSON - The University of Arizona Wildcat men's and women's cross country teams each had student-athletes recognized by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region team. It was announced on Monday. Student-athletes of member schools that finished in the top 25 individually at one of the nine regional sites earned the honor.

On the men's side, the duo of sophomore Lawi Lalang and senior Stephen Sambu both earned All-Region accolades. Lalang won the NCAA West Regional race for the second-straight year, clocking a time of 29:02 in the 10,000-meter race. Sambu earned a runner-up finish and posted a time of 29:38.

For the women, senior Jen Bergman, junior Elvin Kibet, sophomore Nicci Corbin and senior Elizabeth Apgar each earned all-region honors. Bergman finished in sixth place with a 6K time of 19:52, good for her third straight all-region selection. Kibet's time of 19:57 was good for 12th place and her second-straight all-region honor. Corbin took 14th place and posted a time of 20:04. Apgar earned her second-straight all-region selection after finishing in 23rd place with a time of 20:15.

Lalang and Sambu automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships as individuals, finishing in the top 4 of individuals that are not competing at the NCAA Championships for their team. The women's squad tied for second place but lost tiebreaker and the automatic bid for the NCAA Championships. However, they received an at-large bid and will compete on Nov. 17 in Louisville, Ky. The University of Louisville will host the event at Tom Sawyer State Park. The women's 6,000-meter race is set to begin at 10 a.m. MST followed by the men's 10,000-meter race at 11:15 a.m.