Nov. 16, 2007

NEW ORLEANS (USTFCCCA/SMU) - The awards continue to pour in for SMU freshman Sijle Fjortoft, as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association today named her the 2007 NCAA South Central Region Athlete of the Year.

Fjortoft has previously been named the C-USA Freshman of the Year and has twice been tabbed as the C-USA Athlete of the Week.

Fjortoft has got faster as the season has progressed. After placing fifth at the Notre Dame Invitational, she was fourth at the Chile Pepper Invitational and second in the Conference USA Championships. She then won the South Central Regional title by 11 seconds, clocking 20:35 for 6,000 meters. The Orsta, Norway, native is the second SMU student-athlete to win the award in as many years, as Rachael Forish won honored a year ago.

Fjortoft will next run in the NCAA Championships, Monday, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute, Ind.