Michigan State and Oregon Claim 2024 Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Postseason Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the first of its postseason women’s cross country awards on Thursday. Michigan State’s Rachel Forsyth was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while Oregon head coach Shalane Flanagan was unanimously selected as Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Forsyth earned her first collegiate award after placing fourth at the 2024 Big Ten Cross Country Championships in a time of 19:26.2, a personal best. Her performance earned her first team All-Big Ten and All-Freshman Team recognition. The Ann Arbor, Mich. native is the sixth Spartan to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Flanagan led Oregon to its first women’s cross country team title as a member of the Big Ten Conference at the championships last week. With her guidance, five runners placed in the top 15 and seven finished in the top 25 overall. Flanagan coached senior Silan Ayyildiz to the individual title, who finished the 6K race in a record-breaking time of 19:13.6, nearly 13 seconds ahead of the previous mark.

The Big Ten also recognizes the Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have set themselves apart through hard work, sportsmanship and honorable behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside of the sports setting.

The women’s cross country Big Ten Athlete of the Year will be announced following the NCAA Championships, which will be held Nov. 23 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Verona, Wis., hosted by the University of Wisconsin.

2024 Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Postseason Awards
Freshman of the Year: Rachel Forsyth, Michigan State
Coach of the Year: SHALANE FLANAGAN, OREGON

2024 Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Halle Hill, Illinois
Mariah Wehrle, Indiana
Miriam Sandeen, Iowa
Rose Coats, Maryland
Jadyn Zdanavage, Michigan
Taylor Ewert, Michigan State
Liesl Paulsen, Minnesota
Taya Skelton, Nebraska
Katherine Hessler, Northwestern
Akemi Von Scherr, Ohio State
Anika Thompson, Oregon
Claire Daniels, Penn State
Payne Turney, Purdue
Emma Baeyens, Rutgers
Ailish Hawkins, UCLA
Helena Teixeira-Dasilva, USC
Maeve Stiles, Washington
Annika Cutforth, Wisconsin

*unanimous selections in ALL CAPS