Northcutt Selected Conference Athlete of Week for Second Time

PROVO, Utah (Sept. 25, 2001) BYU senior Tara Northcutt was named Mountain West Conference women's cross country athlete of the week for the second time this season after finishing fifth in the silver bracket at the Pre-National Invitational held in Greenville, S.C. last weekend.

Northcutt's performance led the Cougars to a second-place finish in the race and helped the team climb in this week's national rankings. The BYU women's cross country team climbed two spots in this week's poll to No. 2 in the nation, only 13 points behind top-ranked Stanford.

Northcutt was first named athlete of the week on Sept. 25 after winning at the Great American Festival in Charlotte, N.C. Coming into the season she had never been honored as Mountain West Conference athlete of the week in cross country.

A two-time All-American in cross country, Northcutt was on the 1999 team that won an NCAA title. She also won a national championship in the 10,000 meter run at the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Durham, N.C.