Nov. 5, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- Samford head coach for cross country and track and field Rod Tiffin was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year after Saturday's league cross country championships. Tiffin led his women's team to their first Southern Conference Championship as well as Samford's first overall title in the league.
"To be named Coach of the Year is a great honor," Tiffin said. "I appreciate all of my peers voting for me. The girls on the team always make me look good. This honor really belongs to assistant coach Lori Strand. She makes my job easy. I have known Lori for a long time and when the position became available, I knew she would be a perfect fit for the program. They always say that you are only as good as the people that work with you and in this case, I am lucky to be a part of this group."
After coming in a close second last season at the league championships, Tiffin and the women's team, under the instruction of Strand, set out to take the top spot this season. The squad set a goal of winning the 2009 title, taking down everyone that opposed them on their way.
The Samford women won all but one meet that they competed in this season. The Bulldogs opened the season with a first place finish at the Memphis Twilight followed by a fifth place finish at the Crimson Classic. Samford then swept the final three meets of the season, including the Southeast Showdown and the Coach "O" Invitational, while capping the season off with the win at the Southern Conference Championships.
Neal Named October Player Of The Month
Junior distance runner
Hillary Neal was named the Southern Conference October Player of the Month for women's cross country. Neal won the Southeast Showdown on Oct. 10 with a course record time of 10:19 in the 3,000 meter meet.
A week later, she won the Coach "O" Invitational at Troy with a 2-mile time of 10:57 which was also a course record. She led her team to a decisive win in the eight team field as the Bulldogs totaled 31 points.
She wrapped up the month with a fourth place finish at the Southern Conference Championships with a time of 18:32.22 on the 5K course, leading her team to its first Southern Conference Championship.
"Hillary is always one of our most consistent runners," Samford head coach Rod Tiffin said. "She is very talented and one of the best runners in the league. She is very deserving of the award and had a great month."
