Nov. 16, 2007
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois senior Trent Hoerr was named the male Midwest Regional Athlete of the Year as announced today by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Hoerr clocked a personal best 10K time of 29:56 to capture the individual crown at the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 10. With his first place finish, Hoerr became Illinois' first regional champion since Craig Virgin brought home the title in 1976.
Hoerr is the first Illini to garner the Midwest Athlete of the Year honor. He, along with the eight other regional athletes of the year, will be honored at the NCAA Championship banquet Saturday night, in Terre Haute, Ind.
Hoerr has had a record-breaking season thus far. At Pre-Nationals on Oct. 13, the Morton, Ill., native broke the Illinois 8K record with a time of 23:39. His 10K time of 29:56 at the regional meet placed him sixth on the Illinois all-time 10K record list. He finished third at the Big Ten Championships, the highest finish for an Illini since John Kronforst in 2001, earning him first team All-Big Ten Honors. Hoerr and fellow Illini Jacob Nachel earned All-Region honors for their regional finishes of first and 24th respectively.
In his first trip to the NCAA Championships, Hoerr will attempt to become the first Illini male runner to earn All-America honors since Len Sitko in 1990.
The senior will head to the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, Nov. 19. Racing action at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, in Terre Haute, Ind. will begin at noon ET with the men's 10K race, immediately followed by the women's race at 12:55 p.m. ET. Both championship races will be broadcast live on CSTV. The live telecast will run from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET (11 a.m. -12:30 p.m. CT) and will also be webcast live by CSTV. A link to the live webcast will be available on the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Association's website, www.ustfccca.org. Complete results can be found at ncaasports.com with a recap of Hoerr's performance available at fightingillini.com at the conclusion of the meet.
