Rooney, Burger, Ball and Gilroy Earn Top Louisiana Honors

LAKE CHARLES- McNeese State swept top honors in the 2010 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Women's Cross Country team and picked up two of the four top honors on the men's team. Other McNeese athletes named to the team were Joshua Sawe, Jarrett LeBlanc and Amy Guinn.

David Rooney was named the Male Runner of the Year and Brendon Gilroy was named Coach of the Year for the both the men's and women's teams. Tinette Burger was named the Female Runner of the Year and Georgia Ball was named Freshman of the Year.

Rooney finished in 50th place finish at the NCAA Championships and the highest finish by any athlete from a Louisiana or Southland Conference school. The native of Dublin, Ireland placed sixth at the South Central regional meet and placed fourth at the Southland Conference Championship. Rooney was selected to the all-Southland Conference and all-Regional teams. 
At the regional meet, Rooney was :04 away from earning All-America honors. Rooney won the Asics McNeese race and the McNeese 6K relay while finishing 18th at the Roy Griak meet in Minnesota and 11th at the NCAA pre-nationals in Terre Hauti. He posted the fastest time in the state in the 10K with a clocking of 30:36.90. He was also named McNeese State's MVP.

Mutai was the first ULM male athlete to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships. Mutai, a native of Kapsabet, Kenya, finished 12th at the NCAA South Central Regional meet and earned All-Region honors. He placed seventh at the Sun Belt Championship, earning all-conference honors, helping UL-Monroe earn their best -ever finish at the Sun Belt Conference. For his effort, Mutai was named to the All-Sun Belt team and the USTFCCA all-region team.

LeGrange, the Baton Rouge native earned his first collegiate Top 10 finish at the LSU Invitational with an eighth place finish in the 8K race. He paced the Lions at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede, completing the four mile race in 20:26.83 and a 12th place finish. He also placed fourth at Mississippi College's Choctaw Open in the four mile race, 39th in his first Southland Conference Championship in the 8K race.

Gilroy led the Cowboys to a second place finish at the Southland Conference Championship and a sixth place finish at the South Central Regionals. Gilroy's team won its own Asics McNeese meet and placed 21st at the pre-nationals meet in Terre Haute. His top runner (David Rooney) was the highest finisher at the NCAA Championship of any Louisiana and Southland Conference athlete. 
Other athletes named to the team are Henry Rop (Southeastern La.), Richard Chautin and Cullen Doody (LSU), Joshua Sawe and Jarrett LeBlanc (McNeese State).

Burger, a senior from Upington, South Africa, posted the second fastest time in the state in the 6K with a clocking of 20:54.83. She placed eighth at the Southland Conference Championship, second at the LSU invite, fourth at the McNeese 6K Relay and 48th at the Arkansas Chili Pepper 5K in her final season with the Cowgirls.

Ball hails from Lincoln, England and placed 36th in at the Southland Conference Championship and went on to run 93rd at the NCAA South Central Regionals. She also placed fourth at the McNeese Relay, ninth at the Asics McNeese 5K and place 14th at the LSU Invite in her rookie season.

Gilroy swept Coach of the Year honors, also being named the LSWA Men's Coach of the Year, edging out Nicholls' Scott Williamson for the women's honor. Gilroy led the Cowgirls to a third place finish at the Southland Conference Championship and an 11th place finish at the South Central Regional's. His team leader (Tinette Burger) was named to the All-SLC team.

Also named to the women's team is Tulane's Rebecca Coady and Julia Whitrock, Nicholls' Lauren Jones, LSU's Laura Carleton, Southeastern Louisiana's Naomi Jeruto and McNeese State's Amy Guinn.