White named SEC Freshman of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE –Catherine White of the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback cross country team was named the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Week for her victory at the Fayetteville Invitational last weekend.

White is the very first recipient of the SEC’s Freshman of the Week honor which was instituted for the 2007 season.

“Catherine ran a great race last Friday night and deserves this award,” Arkansas head coach Lance Harter said. “She has been training very well over the first three weeks and I believe she is someone that we are going to rely on throughout the year.”

In her first collegiate competition, White led a pack of five Lady Razorback harriers over the finish line in a two-second span to give Arkansas its 18th consecutive opening day victory. In the process she defeated teammate and two-time defending Fayetteville Invitational champion Christine Kalmer and recorded a very good 4,000-meter time of 13:51.3 despite having to run in muddy conditions which plagued the Agri Park cross country course.

With the victory, White becomes the first Lady’Back freshman to open her career with a victory since Christine Kalmer in 2005 and just the second in the past five years.

The Lady Razorbacks are back in action on Saturday when they look to defend their team title at the Aztec Invitational in San Diego, Calif. For more information about Lady Razorback cross country or about Arkansas women’s athletics, please go to www.ladybacks.com.