Cross Country Awards Announced

October 29, 2003 – The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its end of the year awards for men's and women's cross country and Christopher Newport continues its success in the Conference.  CNU runners won every major award for men's and women's competition. 

Freshman Cary Chaffee is the Men's Runner of the Year.  He placed 21^st overall in his first collegiate meet with a time of 27:58.  Chaffee placed fourth overall in the Festival in the Fields meet with a time of 20:13.  He won his first collegiate meet at the Bridgewater Invitational with a time of 28:37.  Chaffee finished 65^th in the Paul Short Invitational, a predominantly Division I field, with a time of 25:38.  He was runner-up at the  Mason-Dixon Championship with a time of 26:49 and he won the USA South Championship. 

Fellow Captain freshman Brandon Miles is the Men's Rookie of the Year.  He finished 28^th overall in his first collegiate meet with a time of 28:19.  Miles placed sixth overall in the Festival in the Fields with a time of 20:31.  He placed second at the Bridgewater Invitational with a time of 28:49.  Miles finished 102^nd in the predominantly Division I Paul Short Invitational with a time of 26:06.  Miles won his first collegiate meet with a time of 26:36 in the Mason-Dixon Championship to claim the Conference title.  He finished second in his first USA South Championship with a time of 26:26.

Aimee Gibbs is the Women's Runner of the Year.  The senior was the individual winner of the Sea Gull Opener with a time of 22:37.  She finished sixth overall in the Festival in the Fields in Blacksburg, VA with a time of 15:38.  Won her second event of the season at the Bridgewater Invitational with a time of 23:59.  Finished with one of her personal best times of 22:31 in the Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh.  Gibbs finished her final Mason-Dixon Conference meet by finishing in first place with a time of 22:41.  She also won the USA South Conference title.  This is Gibbs' fourth consecutive year as Conference Runner of the Year. 

Gibbs' teammate Ashley Ezell is the Rookie of the Year.  She finished 37^th overall in her first collegiate meet at the Sea Gull opener in a time of 25:50.  The freshman placed 30^th overall in the Festival in the Fields at VA Tech with a time of 16:48.  She finished fourth overall at the Bridgewater Invitational with a time of 25:39.  Ezell finished 135^th in the Paul Short Invitational, made up of mostly Division I teams, with a time of 23:33.  Ezell finished fourth in her Mason-Dixon Championship with a time of 23:37.  Ezell finished fourth overall in her first USA South Championship with a time of 22:26.

CNU's Keith Maurer has been named both the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year for 2003.  His men's team placed fourth in the Sea Gull Opener hosted by Salisbury, 2cd in the Festival of Flight hosted by Virginia Tech, first in the Bridgewater Invitational, 24^th overall and 6^th Division II-III only in the Paul Short Invitational and won both the Mason-Dixon and USA South Conference Championships.  His women's team finished third in the Sea Gull Opener, third in the Festival of Flight, first in the Bridgewater Invitational, 27^th overall and 5^th Division II-III only in the Paul Short and won both the Mason-Dixon and USA South Conference Championships.  This is Maurer's sixth time as Men's Coach of the Year and fourth as women's.