Oct. 6, 2009

FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin sophomore Stephanie Ganter has been named the Southland Conference cross country athlete of the week, according to a Tuesday announcement by league officials. Ganter led the Ladyjacks to a ninth-place team finish in Saturday's Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree.

Ganter finished the 5,000-meter course in 17:51 to take 17th place in a field that included more than 200 competitors and two nationally ranked women's teams. The McKinney, Texas, native is one of just four athletes who are true sophomores or younger to finish in the top 20 at the Cowboy Jamboree.

Tuesday's selection marks the first athlete of the week award in Ganter's career, but she is no stranger to Southland honors. After a sparkling rookie campaign, Ganter became the first athlete in Southland history to take the league's freshman of the year award in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.

SFA will be back in action this weekend, when the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks travel to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Florida State Invitational.

-- SFA --