Liberty Trio Voted to Big South Men's XC All-Decade Team

Liberty alumni Evans Kigen, Azaria Kirwa and Josh Showalter were all voted to the 2010-19 Big South Conference Men's Cross Country All-Decade Team presented by Hercules Tires, it was announced today.

Throughout the month of June, the Big South will be recognizing each sport's top student-athletes and coaches from the recently completed decade. Liberty wrapped up its 27-year Big South Conference membership on June 30, 2018, departing for the ASUN Conference.

The Flames excelled during their final years of Big South competition, earning seven Sasser Cups and 62 Big South team championships between 2010-18.

A 15-person committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Team, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total. The 2010-19 Men's Cross Country All-Decade Team features 12 runners and one head coach. 

A native of Eldoret, Kenya, Kigen placed second to teammate Sam Chelanga at both of his Big South Cross Country Championships appearances (2009 and 2010). He went on to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors both years, finishing 20^th nationally in 2009 and 31^st in 2010.

Kirwa recorded top-five finishes each time he competed at the Big South Cross Country Championships, coming in fifth in 2015, fourth in 2016 and second in 2017. Another Eldoret, Kenya native, Kirwa made a pair of NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships appearances, garnering All-America honors in 2017 (25^th place).

Showalter was an All-Big South performer during each of his three cross country seasons as a Flame. The Leesburg, Va., native came in 11^th at the 2014 Big South Cross Country Championships before improving to ninth in 2015 and fifth in 2016.

The Big South Conference previously announced additional all-decade teams as part of its 30^th anniversary celebration during the 2013-14 academic year. The following Flames were included on those squads.

1990-99 Men's Cross Country All-Decade Team
Josh Cox
Stephen Githuka
Bill Khan
Bruce Kite
Brant Tolsma – Head Coach

2000-09 Men's Cross Country All-Decade Team
Sam Chelanga
Josh Edmonds
Jarvis Jelen
Josh McDougal
Brant Tolsma – Head Coach