Wednesday, May 29, 2019

NEW ORLEANS – After doubling up on her national titles in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters and now Alaska Anchorage senior Caroline Kurgat has been named the Division II Outdoor Female Track Athlete of the Year award from the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Kurgat closed out her decorated career in winning fashion at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, repeating as the champion at 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. The wins were her third and fourth outdoor titles, the most by a GNAC female athlete, and her seventh overall when combined with cross country and indoor track and field. In addition, Kurgat was just the third woman in Division II history to complete the distance double in back-to-back years.

Kurgat opened the championship season by winning the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning Female Track Athlete of the Meet honors in the process. Her times in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters set conference meet records.

Earlier in the season, Kurgat set the NCAA Division II record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 32:08.09 against a field of professional and Division I athletes at the Stanford Invitational. The time continues to rank No. 3 across all college divisions and No. 30 in the world according to the IAAF. She also ranks No. 3 in Division II history in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:40.45 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

Kurgat ran NCAA Championships automatic qualifying marks in the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters and was provisionally qualified in the 800 meters.