Editor's Note: This is the eighth in an 11-part series recapping the Top 10 sports moments of the 2009-10 year at Eastern Oregon University as compiled by the EOU Sports Information Department. New moments will be revealed every-other-day over the next few weeks. See the bottom of the page for links to all of the top-ten moments.
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Eastern Oregon University cross country student athlete, Karlee Coffey, crossed the line at the NAIA National Championships as an All-American in her freshman season on Nov. 21, 2009.
The La Grande native became only the third women's Mountaineer runner to be titled an All-American as a freshman. DJ Flores led the EOU men to a 12th place team finish after he finished in 16th place. The headline may read about Coffey's finish, but it was a big day altogether for Eastern Cross Country.
Forrest Lumpry finished just shy of an All-American title with a 33rd place finish. There were 323 runners in the men's race. All seven EOU men's runners crossed the finish line under 28 minutes. The Mountaineer men finished six points shy of 10th place, and 17 points short of a 8th place finish.
Southern Oregon's mens team entered the race as the favorite but finished third overall behind Malone (Ohio) and Concordia (Neb.). Cascade Collegiate Conference foes, The College of Idaho and Concordia, finished 10th and 13th. SOU's David Laney came in seventh place individually.
It was a season of growth for the EOU harriers. Nationally underrated to begin the season, the Mountaineer women climbed as high as No. 19 during the regular season, while the men rose to No. 18.
Coffey ran a season best 17:48 at a 5,000-meter distance in Eugene early in the season. She was later named Cascade Collegiate Conference runner-up on the same course late in the season.
Coffey raced to a first place finish at the 'Yote Twilight Meet in Caldwell, Idaho. The freshman earned conference runner of the week after that finish. She crossed the line in the top four of every race but one in 2009. During the season Coffey helped the Mountaineer women climb as high as No. 19 in the national ranking.
Coffey finished her freshman season with an All-American finish in the women's 10,000 meters at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships. She entered as the sixth seed and ended with a sixth place finish. Coffey crossed the line at 36:44.45. She set a school record in the 10,000 meters this season with a time of 36:04.99.
#1 - Sunday, July 25, 2010
Close Calls - Friday, July 23, 2010
#2 - Wednesday, July 21, 2010
#3 - Freshman Finishes as an All-American
#4 - Football Makes Memorable Comeback
#5 - Volleyball Rallies for Epic League Finish
#6 - EOU Men Benefit From Charity Stripe in Eugene
#7 - Garcilazo Named Athlete of the Year
#8 - EOU Women Beat Warner Pacific at Buzzer
#9 - Ware Racks Up Yards on Carroll
#10 - EOU Soccer Eases Past Northwest Christian
