UCLA has two named to All-Century Team
November 04, 2015 | Cross Country
SAN FRANCISCO – Pac-12 Networks revealed the Pac-12 All-Century Cross Country team comprised of 12 female and male runners, on 'Pac-12 Sports Report' Monday night. UCLA was represented on the team by Meb Keflezighi and Francie Larrieu Smith.
Twenty-four runners were selected from a field of 62 nominees chosen by each Pac-12 institution. Notable voting participants include Pac-12 Networks analysts Thomas Feuer and Dwight Stones; Former track & field/cross country beat writer for The Eugene Register Guard Curtis Anderson; and Northwest Runner writer Paul Merca.
Meb Keflezighi
1994-98
Mebrahtom Keflezighi is the greatest UCLA distance runner and one of the greatest in U. S. history. Among his many U. S. and World distance triumphs – 2014 Boston Marathon champion, 2009 New York City Marathon champion and 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon Silver Medalist. Meb is a three-time U. S. 10,000m champion (2000/2002/2004), three-time USA 12km XC champion (2001/2002/2009) and six-time U. S. 15km champion (2001/2002/2003/2004/2006/2007). Born in Asmara, Eritrea on May 5, 1975, Meb attended San Diego HS and following his senior season and 1998 graduation at UCLA, he returned to his hometown of San Diego to take the U. S. oath and become an American citizen.
Meb, 40 years old, placed seventh on Nov. 1 at the NYC Marathon in 2:13.32 and was the top placing American runner. He is now training to complete in the Feb. USA Olympics Marathon Trials to be held in Los Angeles.
1994 – As a true freshman in cross country, he placed second at the Pac-10 (24:29, 8,000m), fifth at the Dist. 8 meet (31:17/10,000m) and 15th at the NCAA (30:49.6/10,000m), earning All-America honors.
1995 – In cross country as a sophomore, he placed ninth at the NCAA Championship (All-America honors for the second straight season, 31:00/10,000m), third at the NCAA Dist. 8 (30:34.5/10,000m), fifth at the Pac-10 (24:35/8,000m) and won the Iowa State Classic and Aztec Invite
1996 – In cross country, Meb earned All-America honors for the third consecutive season, placing 10th (31:00, 10,000m) at the NCAA. Became the first Bruin since Ron Cornell (1980) to win the Pac-10 cross country men's title, placing first on the Stanford Golf Course in a record time of 23:45 (8000m). Was named the Pac-10 Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
1997 – Meb won four NCAA individual crowns in 1997. In the Fall in cross country, he placed first over the 10,000m in a course-record time of 28:54 to become the first Bruin to ever win the NCAA cross country title. Named the Pac-10 Male Athlete of the Year in cross country (first at the NCAA and Western Regional meet (30:15/10,000m) and second at the Pac-10 (24:07/8,000m)). In the Spring in track & field at the NCAA Outdoor in Bloomington, IN, Meb won the 5,000 (13:44.17) and 10,000m (28:51.18). At the time, only the third athlete in NCAA history to win the NCAA cross country and Outdoor 5000m/10,000m the same season. In the Winter at the NCAA Indoor, Meb won the 5,000m (13:52.72).
Francie Larrieu Smith
1973
In 1973, Francie Larrieu earned All-America honors at the AIAW Cross Country Championships. At the 1974 AIAW Track & Field Championships, she won the outdoor titles in the 880, mile and two-mile.
Larrieu would go onto to become one of the greatest distance runners in U. S. history. Her running career spanned four decades and 35 U. S. distance records from 1,000m to two miles. She was on 28 national teams and won 21 national titles. She was a member of five Olympic teams (1972, 1500m; 1976, 1500m; 1980, 1500m; 1988, 10,000m; 1992, Marathon (carried the U. S. flag at the opening ceremony). In 1998 she was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame.