COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Former University of New Mexico cross country and track & field standout Courtney Frerichs claimed a pair of Mountain West awards on Wednesday as the conference named her Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.
Frerichs, a native of Nixa, Missouri, had a stellar 2015-16 campaign in cross country and track & field for the Lobos, guiding the UNM women’s cross country team to its first national title last November before winning the NCAA title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in record time in June.
She also shined in the classroom, compiling a 4.16 GPA and MW Academic All-Conference and MW Scholar-Athlete honors as she pursued a master’s degree in community health organization.
“Receiving these awards is such an honor,” Frerichs said. “There are so many amazing student-athletes at UNM and in the conference and it is such a neat thing to be considered one of the best. The university and the athletic department have provided me so many opportunities to grow academically and athletically and I am so thankful for that.
| UNM Winners of MW Athlete of the Year |
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2015-16 |
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| UNM Winners of MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year |
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| 2015-16 • Courtney Frerichs, Track/Cross Country 2014-15 • Samir Iftikhar, Men’s Tennis 2011-12 • Kelly Williamson, Volleyball 2006-07 • Lars Loseth, Men’s Skiing/Men’s Soccer 2005-06 • Maja Kovacek, Women’s Tennis 2003-04 • Sean Murray, Baseball 1999-2000 • Matthieu Amgwerd, Men’s Tennis |
“I can’t think of a better way to end my chapter as a student-athlete with the awesome UNM cross country and track & field team.”
“We are tremendously proud of Courtney’s accomplishments,” Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs added. “Her achievements athletically and academically speak for themselves. To be the first student-athlete to ever win both of these awards showcases this.”
While at New Mexico, Frerichs ran to two national titles in one year, winning a team title and an individual title as a Lobo.
She helped the New Mexico women’s cross country to its first national title in November, taking fourth place overall as the highest finisher in program history.
After sitting out the indoor season, Frerichs continued to shine outdoors, twice running under 9:30 in the steeplechase before capping her collegiate career by setting the NCAA record at the NCAA Championships.
Her title in the event was the first by a women’s track & field athlete in program history and powered the women to their best-ever finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
She was also named the program’s first semifinalist for the Women’s Bowerman Award, the highest individual honor in collegiate track & field.
Frerichs continued to perform at an elite level after exhausting her collegiate eligibility, earning a berth on the U.S. Olympic Team in the steeplechase after running a personal-record time of 9:20.92 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials earlier in July.
Her personal record ranks fourth in United States history.
Frerichs, who now runs professionally for the Bowerman Track Club, is the first athlete in MW history to earn both awards.
She is also the first Lobo athlete to Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Samir Iftikhar (men’s tennis) in 2015, and the first woman from UNM since Kelly Williamson (volleyball) in 2012.
Overall, she is the seventh New Mexico athlete to earn the accolade, which is the highest honor the league bestows.
For Athlete of the Year, Frerichs is the first Lobo to be honored since DJ Peterson (baseball) in 2013, and the first woman since Jodi Ewart (women’s golf) in 2010, the first year of the award.
Frerichs will open competition at the Olympic Games with the first round of the steeplechase on Saturday, August 13 before the finals two days later on Monday, August 15.