Nov. 19, 2012

TUCSON - The University of Arizona Wildcat men's and women's cross country teams each had members earn USTFCCCA All-America honors, the honorees were released on Monday. The USTFCCCA announced that 80 student-athletes received All-America honors for the 2012 NCAA Division I Cross Country season. Overall finish at the NCAA Championships is the determining factor as the top 40 individuals from both men's and women's races earn All-America plaudits from the USTFCCCA.

On the men's side, senior Stephen Sambu and Lawi Lalang each earned All-America honors for the second time in their careers. Sambu came in second place at the 2012 NCAA Cross Country Championships, clocking a time of 28:38.6 in the 10,000-meter race. Sambu also earned a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Lalang earned a third-place finish on Saturday, posting a time of 28:51.8. Lalang finished in third place, in his 11th cross country race it marks the first time he has not finished in first place. The Pac-12 and the Big 12 each had six honorees, leading the way for the nation's conferences.

For the women, junior Elvin Kibet and senior Jen Bergman were the top two finishers for the women's squad that earned a sixth-place finish. Kibet earned All-America honors for the first time in her career, finishing in 19th place and clocking a time of 20:03.3 in the 6,000-meter race. Kibet was the top finisher for the women in five of the six races she competed in. Bergman earned All-America accolades for the second-straight year, finishing in 29th place and posting a time of 20:07.9. The Pac-12 had 11 women gain All-America status, the most among all conferences.