FSU National Champion Anna Rudd Claims USTFCCCA Honors
Courtesy Photo - NCAA
(FSU's Anna Rudd leads the pack en route to a national title in the 5,000 meters)
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University junior standout Anna Rudd (Leslie), who claimed the 2013 NCAA Division II National Championship in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA-II National Indoor Championships, has been recognized for her efforts with several recent awards presented by the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
Rudd was officially named to the USTFCCCA Division II All-America Team in both the 5,000 meters and the 3,000 meters. The All-America team is based off of performances at the national championships, which were held March 7-9 in Birmingham, Ala. Rudd was also the national runner-up in the 3K.
In addition, she was named to the USTFCCCA All-Midwest Region Team in three events (mile, 3,000 and 5,000) and also honored as this year's recipient of the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year honor for her accomplishments.
Rudd etched her name in the record books this season as she claimed the NCAA Division II National Championship in the women's 5,000 meters during the national indoor meet held at the Birmingham CrossPlex. She became only the second-ever women's track and field individual national champion in school history by winning the indoor 5,000 at the national meet.
By virute of her national title effort, Rudd joined former FSU long jumper Amy Woodman as the only women's NCAA national track and field champions in school history. Woodman claimed the indoor long jump individual crown in 2008 to become the first Bulldog female to win a national title at either the indoor or outdoor national meets.
In addition to Woodman, the only other previous individuals to claim national track and field titles for the Bulldogs were current Bulldog Athletics Hall of Famers Corey Bouyer and Paul Cochran. Bouyer claimed the NAIA Outdoor title in the 440-yard hurdles in 1970 while Cochran won a combined three national titles in the throwing events at the 1990 indoor and outdoor championships.
Rudd won the women's 5,000 meters at the national meet as she clocked a personal-best time of 16:28.18 to outdistance second place finisher Ruth Keino of Alaska-Anchorage (16:36.27) by more than eight seconds. A total of 18 competitors took part in the event at the national championships. Her time also narrowly eclipsed the previous school record of 16:28.71 set a year ago by 11-time All-America standout Tina Muir. She had held the seventh-fastest seed time heading into nationals prior to winning the event.
The Bulldog junior then followed up her national championship effort in the 5,000 meters by earning runner-up honors in the 3,000 meters on the final day of action at the national meet. Rudd came back from her title effort in the 5,000 by finishing second of 18 competitors in the 3,000 meters at the national meet only a day later. She clocked 9:42.87 in the 3K and came in second to only event champion Alicia Nelson of Adams State (Colo.), who was less than four seconds ahead with a time of 9:38.92.
Her 18 total points from the two events in the meet enabled the Bulldogs to place 14th overall nationally in the team race.
Last year, Rudd claimed All-America honors at the 2012 outdoor national championships with a fifth-place performance in the 10,000 meters. Earlier this season, she led the Bulldogs as she claimed two individual event titles at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Indoor Championships held in Allendale (Feb. 23-24) en route to being tabbed as both the Women's Track Athlete of the Meet along with being voted as the league's nominee for the regional track athlete of the year honor. Rudd ran a meet-record 16:42.95 over 5000 meters at the league indoor meet and also won a title at 3000 (9:37.06) meters.
Besides Rudd, senior Ryan Chute on the Bulldog men's track and field team also claimed all-region recognition this season for FSU in the mile run. A total of 1,061 student-athletes earned a total of 1,574 USTFCCCA All-Region honors. The USTFCCCA regions for track & field match those used for NCAA Cross Country Championships.