Ky Robinson and Amy Bunnage, individual winners at the Pac-12 Championships at Chambers Creek Regional Park in Washington on Friday, headlined the Cardinal accolades.
Robinson was named Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year and Bunnage took Women’s Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Lex Young was named Men’s Freshman of the Year and Ricardo Santos won his third Men’s Coach of the Year award in five seasons while leading the Cardinal to a repeat title.
In addition, four Stanford men and two women earned all-conference honors.
Ky Robinson. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Robinson became Stanford’s fifth men’s winner in seven seasons and third in a row. Robinson, the reigning NCAA outdoor 5,000- and 10,000-meter track and field champion, improved upon his best Pac-12 cross country finish of fourth in 2022.
In 55 years of the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships, Stanford men won individual titles 12 times. Robinson, a senior, became the ninth different Cardinal to do so. Previous Stanford winners were Charles Hicks (2021-22), Grant Fisher (2017-18), Elliott Heath (2010), Chris Derrick (2009), Ian Dobson (2003), Grant Robison (2001-02), Jonathon Riley (2000), and Marc Olesen (1985). In addition, Donald Sage was the Pac-12 Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2001.
Amy Bunnage. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport.
Bunnage, who, like Robinson, is a native of Australia, won a race for the first time in her collegiate career. She gave Stanford its 12th Pac-12 women’s individual title and was the eighth different runner to do so and the first to win from Stanford since Fiona O’Keeffe in 2019. Earlier winners were Aisling Cuffe (2013, 2015), Kathy Kroeger (2012), Arianna Lambie (2005-07), Sara Bei (2002-03), Lauren Fleshman (2001), and Erin Sullivan (1999). Also, Alicia Craig was name Pac-12 Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2002 and Louise Watson in 1992.
Bunnage became the first freshman to win this race since Sullivan. She is Stanford’s 10th Women’s Freshman of the Year, joining Riley Stewart (2022), Zofia Dudek (2019), Elise Cranny (2014), Cayla Hatton (2012), Teresa McWalters (2004), Arianna Lambie (2003), Sara Bei (2001), Victoria Chang (2000), and Sullivan (1999).
Lex Young. Photo by David Hicks.
Young was the top placing freshman at the Pac-12 Championships, in 12th. He was Stanford’s No. 4…
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