Sooner Track & Field And Cross Country Salute Outstanding Performers :: Eight Sooners named most valuable in track and field and cross country.

Sooner Track & Field And Cross Country Salute Outstanding Performers :: Eight Sooners named most valuable in track and field and cross country. Sooner Track & Field And Cross Country Salute Outstanding Performers

Eight Sooners named most valuable in track and field and cross country.

	LaBoris Bean, who completed his Sooner career in June, was one of eight Sooners to be named a 2000-2001 Sooner MVP.

Sept. 21, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - Eight OU track and field and cross country athletes were honored as MVP Friday night at the annual University of Oklahoma track and field/cross country banquet. The MVPs were among 38 student-athletes honored for their achievements in competition and in the classroom during the 2000-01 academic year.

Brandon Kissack, who was OU's leading runner in six of seven meets last fall and finished 64th in the Big 12 Championship, and Stephanie Webb, who was OU's leading runner in four of seven meets and finished 76th at the Big 12, were named the MVPs for cross country.

Track and field MVPs included Jimyria Hicks, who recently represented OU and the US at the World University Games, Bambi Carson, a three-time All-American, who was first woman in Big 12 history to win back-to-back titles in the discus, Janel Hayes, the NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Oklahoma, 2001 Big 12 Indoor long jump champion and 2001 All-American, Michael Westlund, a 2001 NCAA indoor and outdoor All-American in the pole vault, Justin Conkling, 2001 Big 12 Indoor heptathlon champion, 2001 NCAA outdoor All-American in the decathlon, and decathlon champion at the Mt. Sac Relays, and LaBoris Bean, a 2001 NCAA All-American in the 1600-meter relay and the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

Hayes and Marcus Bivines, a sprinter from Midwest City, were named winners of the 2001 Owen Hewitt Award. Considered the highest honor a Sooner track and field student-athlete can receive, the award was created in 1990 to honor a male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and have outstanding athletic accomplishments.

The Sooners also honored former throwing coach Pete Kron who retired in July after 27 years on the Sooner staff. He was recognized by one of his former stars, Ed Wade, who was hired in August to take over as throws coach. Kron coached two national champions, more than 20 All-Americans and numerous conference champions, Olympic Festival and Olympic Trials competitors.

2001 Sooner Track and Field/Cross Country Honorees

Cross Country MVPs -- Brandon Kissack and Stephanie Webb

Track and Field MVPs -- Jimyria Hicks, Bambi Carson, Janel Hayes, Michael Westlund, Justin Conkling and LaBoris Bean

Outstanding Newcomers -- Joey McNair and Amanda Luksetich (cross country), Leslie Dunlap and Aldwynn Sappleton, track and field

Outstanding Walk-Ons -- Brandon Kissack and Jamie Lillie

Owen Hewitt Award -- Janel Hayes and Marcus Bivines

NCAA Woman of the Year for the Stat of Oklahoma -- Janel Hayes

E.H. Miles Scholarship -- Justin Conkling and Michael Westlund

Verizon/GTE Academic All-American -- Stephanie Webb

NCAA All-Americans - Michael Westlund, Bambi Carson and Alesha Peel (Indoor), Bambi Carson, Janel Hayes, Michael Westlund, Justin Conkling, LaBoris Bean, Ernest Lewis, Raoul Harvey and Aldwynn Sappleton