June 5, 2008

FRISCO, Texas - With the 2008 track season in the books for Lamar University, three student athletes were recognized for their academic success as Clerc Koenck earned her third student athlete of the year award while Samuel Kosgei and Ewan Simpson were named to the men's All-Academic team.

A native of Anacoco, La., Koenck posted a 3.77 GPA, while majoring in exercise science. Along with the Outdoor Track and Field Women's Student Athlete of the Year award her academic accolades include being named the 2008 Indoor Track and Field Women's Student-Athlete of the Year 2007 SLC Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Year, being named to the 2007 U.S Track and Field and Cross Country Association All-Academic team and to the 2007 USTFCCCA, Cross Country All-Academic Team. A four-time member of the Dean's List at Lamar, she has also been on the president's list one time.

A four-year letter winner for Lamar, Koenck has put together one of the best resumes in LU athletics history. She led her teammates in cross country to three team conference championships while earning two individual conference titles. She also has three outdoor 1,500-meter conference titles, one outdoor 5,000 meter title, two indoor mile conference titles, two indoor 3,000-meter conference titles and three indoor distance medley conference titles. In addition, Koenck is a two-time Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Track Performer.

She made an appearance in the cross country national championships last fall where she registered a school-best 114th place finish. She also became the first Lamar runner in eight years to advance to the NCAA Indoor Track Championships where she finished in 16th place in the mile.

Her dominating abilities have also made their mark on the Lamar record books in track, setting new school records in the indoor 3,000, indoor mile, distance medley relay, the outdoor 800 and the outdoor 1,500 meter run. She owns the Southland Conference record in the indoor mile and has the second-fastest indoor 3,000 in conference history.

Kosgei, a native of Kapchorwa, Uganda, has a 3.20 GPA in health. He posted a third place finish in the Indoor 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:53.40 at the SLC Championships and ran to a fourth place finish in the indoor 3,000 with a time of 8:31.09. He notched a third place finish in the outdoor 10,000 meter run with a time of 31:28.55 and grabbed fifth place in the 5,000 meter run in a time of 14:42.91 at the SLC Championships

Simpson, a senior from Kincardine, Scotland, is an Exercise Science major with a 3.46 GPA. He won the SLC Indoor Championship in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:55.27 and came in seventh place in the 1,500 meter run at the SLC outdoor championship.