Dec. 8, 2009

Irving, Texas - Tulsa senior John Beattie was named Conference USA Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year for the second-straight season, as voted on by league coaches and announced today by the conference office. He becomes just the third athlete to repeat as C-USA Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

Beattie won his second consecutive C-USA individual title after turning in a time of 24:23 in the 8K course at the Conference USA Championship meet on Oct. 31 in The Woodlands, Texas. He earned first-team all-conference honors for the second-straight year and was named C-USA Outstanding Senior of the Year.

The senior from Southampton, England, also earned All-Region accolades after placing eighth at the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Nov. 14. Beattie's performance was good enough to earn him an at-large selection to run at the NCAA Championships, where he finished 46th with a season-best time of 30:25.9, falling just six spots shy of All-America honors.

Risper Kimaiyo of UTEP earned C-USA Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors after winning the individual title at the conference meet and being named an All-American in her freshman season.