Emily MacLeod Named Alderton Female Co-Athlete of the Year

A two-time All-American, MacLeod has earned Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year in each of the past
two cross country seasons while leading the team in each race.

June 8, 2011
Michigan State announced its major athletic award winners for 2010-11 on Wednesday, and runner
Emily MacLeod was named the Alderton Female Co-Athlete of the Year. A two-time All-American,
MacLeod has earned Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year in each of the past two cross country
seasons while leading the team in each race. MacLeod adds to her resume five All-Big Ten and two
All-Region honors, as well as four USTFCCCA All-Academic and eight Academic All-Big Ten
selections.
GEORGE ALDERTON FEMALE CO-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
(Presented to top female athlete of 2010-11)
CO-WINNER: Emily MacLeod (Cross Country/Track)
Emily MacLeod has turned in arguably one of the greatest seasons in recent Michigan State history
on the cross country course and on the track during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
MacLeod's senior season started off with a bang during the fall as she concluded the cross country
season with her second-straight win at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, earning herself U.S. Track
& Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Great Lakes Athlete of the Year
honors following both the 2009 and 2010 races, becoming the first Spartan to achieve the feat in
back-to-back seasons.
"This is truly a great honor," said MacLeod on being named the George Alderton Female Athlete of
the Year. "Michigan State has produced amazing female athletes as one of the premier Big Ten
Universities. To be listed with the likes of Nicole Bush, Jamie Krzyminski and Michelle Carson is an
absolute honor to be bestowed. I would like to thank Coach (Walt) Drenth and the entire coaching
staff for everything they have helped me to achieve over the past five years here at MSU."

Emily MacLeod will

conclude her collegiate
career on Friday, June
10 when she competes
in the 5,000-meter run
at the 2011 NCAA
Track & Field
Championships in Des
Moines, Iowa, at 9:10
p.m. ET.

"Emily MacLeod may be one of the best runners to ever go through the MSU program," MSU
director of track & field/cross country Walt Drenth said. "When looking at past distance runners,
she has been far and away one of the best in terms of success on the cross country course and
track. This year alone, Emily has posted four Big Ten titles while repeating as both the Great Lakes
Region winner and Great Lakes Athlete of the Year, something that has never been done before in school history. Her four titles also
ties for the second-most by a Spartan in a single season on the track and cross country course."
MacLeod's cross country season opened strong as she turned in her second-straight win at the Spartan Invitational, her first race of
the season. MacLeod was MSU's top runner at all six of her competitions and placed in the top-nine in five of six races. MacLeod
wrapped-up the cross country schedule with an USTFCCCA All-America nod after she finished 37th at the 2010 NCAA Cross
Country Championships with a time of 20:48.1. MacLeod becomes the first member of the track & field and cross country programs
to earn the George Alderton Award since Nicole Bush did so in 2009. MacLeod is also the fifth in the last eight years to earn the
award as a member of the track & field or cross country teams.
At the conference level, MacLeod was stellar on the cross country course as she earned All-Big Ten honors for the second-straight
year, and also became the first Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year since 2008 en route to the team's first conference title
since 2003 with her individual crown.
The Loveland, Ohio, native had her strong cross country season translate into a successful indoor season which saw her capture
both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter indoor conference crowns. After narrowly missing an appearance at the 2011 NCAA Indoor
Championships, MacLeod rebounded during the outdoor season to complete the sweep of the 5,000-meter events with a win at the
outdoor conference championships. At the NCAA East Region Preliminaries last weekend, MacLeod qualified for her second-straight
NCAA Championships with her third-place overall finish in the 5,000 meters with a career-best time of 15:57.57.
MacLeod will conclude her collegiate career on Friday, June 10 when she competes in the 5,000-meter run at the 2011 NCAA Track
& Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, at 9:10 p.m. ET.

Her senior season alone, MacLeod has won four Big Ten titles, has been a three-time All-Big Ten selection, was named the Big Ten
Cross Country Athlete of the Year as well as the Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year, and has earned All-America and All-Region
honors.
MacLeod has not only been a model Spartan competitively, but also in the classroom. MacLeod is a four-time USTCCCA AllAcademic selection as well as an eight-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
MacLeod graduated in May with a degree in environmental biology/zoology.
PAST WINNERS - ALDERTON FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:
2010-Floor Rijpma (field hockey); 2009-Nicole Bush (cross country/track & field); 2008-Sara Brown (golf); 2007-Sara Brown (golf);
2006-Liz Shimek (basketball); 2005-Kristin Haynie (basketball); 2004-Jamie Krzyminski (cross country/track & field); 2003-Michelle
Carson (cross country) and Jamie Krzyminski (cross country/track & field); 2002-Emily Bastel (golf); 2001-Summer Mitchell
(swimming & diving); 2000-Emily Bastel (golf); 1999-Carrie Carpenter (softball); 1998-Jill Lusher (field hockey); 1997-Sevatheda
Fynes (track & field); 1996-Val Sterk (volleyball); 1995-Karen Winslow (soccer); 1994-Susan Francis (track & field); 1993-Jodi
Blotcher (gymnastics); 1992-Misty Allison (cross country/track & field); 1991-Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse (swimming & diving); 1990Julie Farrell (swimming & diving); 1989-Julie Farrell (swimming & diving); 1988-Michelle Ingalls (gymnastics); 1987-Odessa Smalls
(track & field); 1986-Mary Schoenle (swimming & diving); 1985-Kelly Becker (volleyball); 1984-Deanne Moore (softball); 1983-Judi
Brown (track & field); 1982-Molly Brennan (track & field).