Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Hynes Named Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Freshman of the Year
11/8/2021 10:05:00 AM | Cross Country
EAST LANSING, Mich. – After placing 12th at the Big Ten Championships and earning all-conference second team honors, Michigan State freshman Kaitlyn Hynes was unanimously named the Big Ten Cross Country Women's Freshman of the Year, the conference office announced Monday.
The Big Ten Conference also announced that MSU redshirt junior Makayla Perez and sophomore Andrew Nolan were the Spartan women's and men's recipients of the B1G Sportsmanship Award.
Opening the season as an unattached runner at the Spartan Invitational, Hynes used a fifth-place finish (21:35.9 – 6K) to earn a spot on the women's side at the Griak Invitational. At the Griak, the rookie finished 27th against some top national competition, posting a 21:55.2 time, and followed that by running a then-personal record time of 21:13.8 (92nd) at the Nuttycombe Invitational, one of the top collegiate races. A native of DeWitt, Mich., Hynes continued her upward trajectory at the Big Ten Championships, recording a 6K PR time of 21:04.8 to place 12th and pick up All-B1G honors.
Hynes becomes the first Spartan to win the award since Maggie Farrell in 2017, and is only the fifth MSU women's runner to be named the top Big Ten rookie in program history.
Perez, an All-B1G Second Team selection last season, had the fourth-best finish for the MSU women at the conference championships, battling through minor injuries this fall to post a 21:14.2 time that placed her 20th among Big Ten runners. The redshirt junior has also placed in the top-25 of all but one of her eight collegiate races.
For Nolan, he made his collegiate debut at last season's Big Ten Championships with a 38th-place finish in the men's 8K (25:03.3), and has been one of the most consistent Spartan men this season, posting a season-best 8K time of 25:14.4 at the Nuttycombe. The sophomore then placed 56th at last week's Big Ten Championships, running a 26:16.3 time in the 5.2-mile race.
Michigan State returns to action on Friday, Nov. 12 at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals in Evansville, Ind.
The Big Ten Conference also announced that MSU redshirt junior Makayla Perez and sophomore Andrew Nolan were the Spartan women's and men's recipients of the B1G Sportsmanship Award.
Opening the season as an unattached runner at the Spartan Invitational, Hynes used a fifth-place finish (21:35.9 – 6K) to earn a spot on the women's side at the Griak Invitational. At the Griak, the rookie finished 27th against some top national competition, posting a 21:55.2 time, and followed that by running a then-personal record time of 21:13.8 (92nd) at the Nuttycombe Invitational, one of the top collegiate races. A native of DeWitt, Mich., Hynes continued her upward trajectory at the Big Ten Championships, recording a 6K PR time of 21:04.8 to place 12th and pick up All-B1G honors.
Hynes becomes the first Spartan to win the award since Maggie Farrell in 2017, and is only the fifth MSU women's runner to be named the top Big Ten rookie in program history.
Perez, an All-B1G Second Team selection last season, had the fourth-best finish for the MSU women at the conference championships, battling through minor injuries this fall to post a 21:14.2 time that placed her 20th among Big Ten runners. The redshirt junior has also placed in the top-25 of all but one of her eight collegiate races.
For Nolan, he made his collegiate debut at last season's Big Ten Championships with a 38th-place finish in the men's 8K (25:03.3), and has been one of the most consistent Spartan men this season, posting a season-best 8K time of 25:14.4 at the Nuttycombe. The sophomore then placed 56th at last week's Big Ten Championships, running a 26:16.3 time in the 5.2-mile race.
Michigan State returns to action on Friday, Nov. 12 at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals in Evansville, Ind.
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