Benton Earns Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year Honor, Figueroa and Schlichter Share Male Honor

Ed Schlichter

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA announced its 2004 Cross Country Athletes of the Year Wednesday with USF’s Christa Benton taking the female honors, while Houston’s Sesar Figueroa and Charlotte’s Ed Schlichter share the Male Athlete of the Year award.

Benton earned the female honor after placing the highest among the 10 C-USA athletes who competed at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 22. The senior placed 43rd among the female participants covering the 6K course in 23:11. In her four year career at USF, Benton earned All C-USA honors on three occasions including a pair of first-team honors in 2002 and 2003.

The C-USA Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year was awarded to Houston’s Sesar Figueroa and Charlotte’s Ed Schlichter for their finishes at respective NCAA Regional meets. Figueroa secured All-South Central honors in Waco, Texas, after leading the Cougars to a fourth-place team finish. Figueroa placed 19th overall covering the 10K course in 31:03. Schlichter competed at the Southeast Regional in Greenville, N.C., and took 20th-place overall to also earn All-Region honors. Schlichter had the best time among C-USA male athletes at the various regional meets posting a time of 30:59 in the 10K race.

Figueroa, who helped lead Houston to its first-ever C-USA Cross Country team championship, earned All C-USA third team honors with his 12th-place finish at the league championship, while Schlichter took second-team All C-USA honors for his ninth-place finish.