June 13, 2012
BERKELEY -
With points from Deborah Maier's third-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships combined with top-20 team results at the NCAA cross country and indoor track & field meets, California placed 11th in the Terry Crawford Women's Program of the Year rankings.
The Program of the Year Awards, sponsored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA), are presented annually to the nation's most outstanding cross country/track & field programs. The awards honor the institutions that have achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field seasons) based on finishes at the NCAA Championships.
In order to be eligible for the awards, teams must qualify for each of the NCAA events. Scoring is based on the team finishes at each national championship in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field (i.e. 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award recipient.
The Golden Bears began the fall with their best showing at the cross country meet since 1988 by placing 18th overall. Led by All-American's Maier (11th) and Chelsea Reilly (24th), Cal finished among the nation's top 20 for the third time ever.
At the NCAA Indoor Championships, Maier again starred, this time claiming national runner-up honors in both the 3000 and 5000 meters. With her 16 points (8 for each finish), the Bears were 15th in the final team standings, their highest since also taking 15th in 2007.
Finally at June's NCAA outdoor meet, Maier picked up six points after taking third in the 10K, giving the Bears a 40th-place team finish.
Only 16 teams nationwide scored in each of the three meets, including six from the Pac-12 - 1. Oregon, 2. Stanford, 3. Washington, 7. Arizona. 11. Cal and 14. Arizona State.
For a complete look at the Program of the Year rankings, visit the USTFCCCA website.
