By: by Scott Lipsky
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced that cross country and track and field sensation Mackenzie Howe was named the 2009-10 Female Athlete of the Year in a statement released on Thursday afternoon.
“I’m so proud of Mackenzie because a student-athlete like her makes us all look good,” said Owls cross-country head coach Stan Sims. “She exemplifies what it means to be a true student-athlete and not only that, she is so well grounded as a person.”
Howe, a junior, was a First Team All Atlantic Sun Conference selection in cross country and earned a pair of all-conference honors during the indoor season, as she was a second team performer in the 3,000m and was third team in the 5,000m indoor season. During the outdoor season, Howe set the A-Sun record in the 10,000m with a 35:16.96 performance, beating out runner-up and Owls teammate Erin Sutton by nearly 27 seconds. She also won the 5,000m championship at the A-Sun, to help her squad to a second place overall finish.
“I was so thrilled and ecstatic to hear that I was named Female Athlete of the Year,” said Howe on Wednesday. “I know what a great honor that really is. We have so many outstanding women athletes at KSU, so to receive this honor is huge to me.”
The Watkinsville, Ga. native was an NCAA All-South Region honoree during the cross country season, thanks to her 18th place showing at the NCAA South Region Championship in November. She impressed on the big stage once again to conclude the outdoor track season, placing 20th in the 10,000m at the East Preliminary Round of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships last week in Greensboro, N.C.
“It makes me really proud to know that my hard work does pay off,” added Howe. “I've been training hard from August to May and have had a few setbacks with injuries, but I am so blessed to have a great support system from all the coaches and owe it to them for getting me to this point.”
Howe had a spectacular year, as she earned seven A-Sun Runner of the Week awards, including five in cross country and one each during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Her fall included a stretch from Sept. 9 to Sept. 30 in which she won four consecutive Runner of the Week awards. She won her first six races of the cross country season before finishing as the runner-up at the A-Sun Championship.
“I don’t think people realize how much hard work it takes to be at the level that she runs at and to stay at that level from August to May,” added Sims. “Mackenzie never takes times off and every time she comes to the starting line she is expected to win, and that’s a lot of pressure to have on someone, but she always handles it well.”
Howe is the third runner to be honored as Female Athlete of the Year, joining Patrina Hayes and Marjo Venalainen. Both Hayes (2004-05 and 2005-06) and Venalainen (1999-00 and 2000-01) won back-to-back awards.
