ABBOTT NAMED BIG SKY WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR; TEAM CRACK WEST REGIONAL RANKINGS

11/10/2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The amazing turnaround for the Sacramento State women's cross country continued as Scott Abbott was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. Abbott led the Hornets to a second-place finish at the Big Sky Championships and had three student-athletes earn all-Big Sky honors.

In just his second year with the program, Abbott coached the Hornets to their highest finish at the Big Sky Championships. The team scored 59 points and finished second to perennial power Northern Arizona. Sacramento State's previous best finish was sixth place in 2001 and the team tied for eighth a season ago.

"It is great to see that the conference is taking notice to what we have done," Abbott said. "Personally, this is a nice honor but all the credit goes to our women.

"To not even win the conference but still win this award shows how much of an improvement we've made. I also want to congratulate Coach (Eric) Heins (Northern Arizona). He's probably equally deserved of the award."

Individually, Kristina Holtz, Renisha Robinson and Caprice Bradshaw each earned all-Big Sky accolades. Holtz finished sixth overall while Robinson and Bradshaw were seventh and ninth, respectively.

Sacramento State also cracked the United State Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association West Region rankings for the first time in school history this week. The Hornets are 15th in the rankings and are ahead of UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, San Francisco and Long Beach State.

Both the men's and women's teams will compete at the NCAA West Regional on Sat., Nov. 15, at Stanford.