Snelling Named Coach Of The Year
11/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 4, 2009
FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin cross country coach Lou Snelling was named Wednesday the Southland Conference Women's Coach of the Year, according to an announcement by league officials. The honor is the second of Snelling's career on the women's side and his fifth, in all, since taking over at SFA for the 2003 season.
Snelling guided the Ladyjacks to a second-place finish at last week's Southland Conference Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. With three runners in the top 10, including Stephanie Ganter's second-place performance, SFA was initially listed as the winner in the women's 6,000-meter race. But Ganter was later disqualified in an official's decision that was contested by Snelling. SFA wound up in second behind host team Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
"It's all because of the girls, their effort and them stepping up on the day of the meet," Snelling said of his award. "I'm proud of them and happy for what they were able to do."
The Coach of the Year selection is based on a vote of the league's head coaches. Wednesday's announcement marks just the fourth time in conference history, and the first since the 2000 season, for a coach not affiliated with the winning program to take Coach of the Year honors.
In 2000, Sam Houston State's Greg Hinze took the award for the women's race, despite finishing behind that year's champion, UT Arlington. SFA's Annie Bennett was voted Women's Coach of the Year in 1998, even with her squad finishing second to McNeese State. The only other occurrence came in 1996, when Nicholls State's Detrick Eaton shared the honor with the coach of men's champion UTSA.
"I appreciate my fellow coaches in the conference for recognizing the girls' effort, for sure, but it doesn't make the situation any easier to accept," Snelling said.
In addition to Snelling's honor, the Ladyjacks had two runners named to the All-Southland Conference team. Juniors Amy Shackelford and Megan Jenkins finished sixth and ninth, respectively. Shackelford posted a time of 21:26, and Jenkins clocked in at 21:37.
In the men's race, sophomore Mitch Ownbey finished fourth to take all-conference honors for the second straight year. He posted a time of 24:16.
The Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks will be back in action Nov. 14, when they head to Waco, Texas, for the NCAA South Central Regional Championships.
-- SFA --
