With a Southeastern Conference title back in Gainesville for the first time since 1997, the No. 5 women's team will now focus on the NCAA Regional Championship and NCAA Championship meets in the upcoming weeks.
Rebecca Lowe finished in first place during the SEC Championship on Saturday in Oxford, Miss., with a time of 20:57.35. Lowe finished in ninth place during the NCAA Pre-Nationals with her personal-best time of 20.51.1 during her first race of the season. She sat out for the 2008 season due to injury.
"This title means a lot to us," the redshirt sophomore said. "It's been a long time coming for the Gators and we are proud to bring a championship back to Gainesville."
Lowe came in first place for the first time in her UF career. She became the fourth Gator to win a SEC individual title, and it is the first time the women's team has had an individual champion since Becki Wells in 1996.
Four other Gators finished in the top 10 including junior Charlotte Browning, who came in second; fifth-place finisher Stacey Johnson; sophomore Genevieve LaCaze finished in seventh; and senior Julie Northrup came in ninth.
"Everyone at the meet gave it their best, and our women ran tremendously," coach Todd Morgan said. "It was really great to see Rebecca succeed. She is a big-time talent, and she really showed it."
The women's team finished with 24 points, while second place Tennessee had 80 and third place Arkansas had 87.
Lowe, Browning, Johnson and LaCaze were named to the first-team All-SEC, and Northrup was chosen for the second-team.
The women were expected to win the SEC Championship according to coaches during a preseason poll in August.
The men's team, as predicted by the same poll in August, finished its 8K race in fourth place, behind Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn.
Senior Justin Taylor came in 10th place and was named to the second-team All-SEC men's team.
