The Pac-12 Conference recently released its all-Pac-12 teams on Tuesday, and the Ducks are represented well. Katie Rainsberger and Lilli Burdon earned all-Pac-12 first-team. Jessica Hull was named to all-Pac-12 second team.
Freshmen Cooper Teare was named Pac-12 Freshmen of the Year after being one of the top runners for Oregon in its three races this year. He placed eight at the Pac-12 Championships, and was the first freshman to finish. Teare has joined elite Oregon running company by placing top ten in his first three races. He was also named to all-Pac-12 second team.
For Rainsberger, who received Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last season, this is her second first-team award. She improved her performance from the conference championships last year, going from fifth to second place.
Lilli Burdon’s performance this year has been remarkable. After not racing a cross-country race in over two-and-a-half years, she is now one of the top runners on the Ducks’ roster and in the conference.
Jessica Hull has also improved in all her races this season. In last season’s Pac-12 championships she was 27th, and this year she was 11th.
Senior Sam Prakel received the Pac-12 Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Prakel is majoring in biochemistry and has a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average, according to GoDucks.com. Prakel is no stranger to earned these academic achievements.
In cross-country, Prakel is a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic First Team honoree. At the 2016 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, he earned the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award after having the highest grade-point average (3.97) among all competitors at the indoor meet.
The only other Oregon cross-country male runner to be named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year was Galen Rupp in 2008.
Dani Jones of Colorado and Grant Fisher of Stanford, both winners of the Pac-12 Championships last Friday, were named Athletes of the Year.
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