VanderLende Named Unanimous Big Ten Freshman of the Year
11/5/2019 3:00:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Ericka VanderLende of the University of Michigan women's cross country team has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the conference office announced Tuesday (Nov. 5).
VanderLende, in her first year at Michigan after a decorated high school career at Rockford (Michigan) High School, earned the award following her sixth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships this past Sunday (Nov. 3) at Ohio State.
As the top-finishing freshman in the meet by six places and 11 seconds, and the only first-year runner to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, VanderLende was the unanimous choice of the conference's coaches in a post-meet ballot.
VanderLende covered the six-kilometer (3.73-mile) course at Ohio State University Golf Club in 20:26.3, leading Michigan to a third-place team finish.
She becomes the 11th Michigan woman to earn the award, following directly after teammate Anne Forsyth claimed the honor in 2018. VanderLende is head coach Mike McGuire's 10th Freshman of the Year in cross country.
This marks her first year-end award in what has already been a decorated young career. During the regular season she became Michigan's first-ever USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week and was a three-time Big Ten Athlete of the Week.
Her season to this point also includes victories at the Michigan Open and Buckeye Preview as well as top-five finishes in national-caliber races at the John McNichols Invitational (Sept. 21) and Pre-National Invitational (Oct. 19).
VanderLende and the Wolverine women will return to action on Friday, Nov. 15, as they seek to qualify for nationals at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, Wisconsin.
• Big Ten Release
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