University of Connecticut Athletics
Leslie Named BIG EAST Women's Athlete of the Week
10/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 17, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - University of Connecticut women's cross country captain Sara Leslie was named BIG EAST Cross Country women's Athlete of the Week, announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon.
Leslie, who is the first ever UConn women's cross country runner to earn this honor, was UConn's top finisher last weekend at the New England Championship and set a new personal record with her finish.
In the 5K race at Franklin Park in Boston, Mass. on Oct. 10, the senior continued her streak of being in the top-two finishes for UConn this season as she crossed the finish line as the first UConn runner.
Leslie posted a time of 18:45.0 to help the Huskies to a 14th place (tie) finish, while setting a personal best time. She beat her previous high mark by nearly a minute, finishing 43 seconds faster than her former top time. The senior and the Huskies return to action tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 16, at the Penn State National.
"This is such a great honor for our program, our team, and most importantly for Sara herself," said distance coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. "It's really wonderful to see such a hardworking, tenacious student athlete get recognized this way. It's easy to take a young lady like Sara for granted because she has been one of those athletes that is incredibly consistent and reliable - she just does want she needs to do - but often in a very quite and methodical way, so sometimes she is underappreciated.
"Starting last spring something just clicked in Sara and she realized that she was capable of being more than just a consistent contributor, but a real leader, and this year her expectations for herself are really high," added McDonough. "She is running personal bests in virtually every race she runs this cross country season and has really stepped out of the shadows. It's impossible not to notice her now."
Players Mentioned
