Chaplin takes Honda Award for cross country
Add another award to the list of honors UA cross-country runner Tara Chaplin has received.
Chaplin, a senior who took home the NCAA national championship Nov. 22 at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., was presented with the Honda Sports Award yesterday, making her eligible to win the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is given every June to the nation's best female collegiate athlete.
UA senior Jennie Finch - last year's Honda Sports Award winner for softball - was nominated for the 2001 Honda-Broderick Cup but lost to Southwest Missouri State basketball player Jackie Stiles.
Chaplin beat out three other runners - Stanford's Lauren Fleshman, Georgia Tech's Renee Metivier and North Carolina State's Kristin Price - in the voting for the award.
Chaplin - who also won the NCAA West Regional Championship and the Murray Keatinge Invitational this season - is just the second Arizona runner to take the award. Amy Skieresz took home the award following the 1996-97 season.
Farmer named team's MVP at football banquet
The debate over who is the best player on the Arizona football team is over.
At least among the players, that is.
Sophomore tailback Clarence Farmer was named Arizona's Most Valuable Player and the UA Offensive Player of the Year at the team's postseason banquet Sunday night.
Farmer, a first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selection, rushed for 1,129 yards this season, the fifth-best total for a UA running back in school history.
Farmer, a native of Houston, beat out quarterback Jason Johnson and wide receiver Bobby Wade, among others, for the award.
Junior linebacker Lance Briggs was named the Wildcats' Defensive Player of the Year. Briggs, who converted from running back upon Farmer's arrival last season, tallied 98 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss en route to his second straight first team All-Pac-10 selection.
Sophomore safety Clay Hardt was named Special Teams Player of the Year, while freshmen Gainus Scott, Jesse Gran and Pedro Limon were named Champion Players of the Year for their contributions on Arizona's scout team. All three redshirted the 2001 season.
Junior tackle Darren Safranek and senior defensive end Alex Luna were given the Marvin Gentry Awards for outstanding performances by Wildcat linemen.
Other players won awards for their off-the-field contributions.
Jason Johnson earned the Undergraduate Academics Award for having the best grade point average on the team, while senior wide receiver Malosi Leonard won the Jim Ewing Award for senior-class scholastic performance. Senior defensive lineman Eli Wnek was also honored with the "Golden A" Award for his leadership.
Four seniors - strong safety, Zaharius Johnson, guard Kevin Barry, wide receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive end Johnny Jackson - were also honored by UA head coach John Mackovic for their contributions to the program.
